This Watermelon Salad with Kohlrabi and Hot Honey Dressing will be your new favorite summer salad! Made with summer’s best produce, watermelon, and crunchy kohlrabi this salad is light, refreshing, and the perfect addition to your next summer barbeque.
Watermelon truly is the fruit of the summer. My family is eating at least one watermelon a week and I am trying to find the most unique ways to use the watermelon.
I was introduced to kohlrabi in my local CSA box from Nash’s Veggies. Kohlrabi is a crunchy vegetable from the cabbage family. It is a versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw, as in this salad, or roasted, stewed, or mashed.
Need another watermelon recipe? Try these Watermelon Caprese Skewers with Prosciutto. Everyone loves a handheld appetizer and these are great because you can walk and eat! Or, try this Watermelon Kiwi Salsa. This unique combination is perfect as a side dish, with chips or topped on fresh fish!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Impressive! This salad looks so impressive when it is served plated due to the bright colors from the watermelon and the radishes!
- Fresh! This recipe uses the best summer produce that gives this salad great texture and taste.
- Delicious! I can’t say I love this combination anymore. The sweet, salty, and crunchy texture allows for a delicious salad.
Ingredients
Head over to your local farmers market or grocery store to grab these fresh ingredients!
Note, the honey hot sauce is not photographed.
- Fresh lettuce is the base for this salad.
- Seedless Watermelon, radishes, cucumbers, kohlrabi, and red onion add nutrition and crunch.
- Feta Cheese adds a salty mix while mint adds a sweet taste.
- The salad dressing is made by combining olive oil, honey hot sauce, garlic cloves, lime juice, agave nectar, salt, and black pepper.
See the below recipe card for exact measurements and ingredients.
Substitutions
- For the lettuce, I like to use whatever fresh lettuce I can get. Arugula is a great option in this salad because of its peppery taste.
- Substitute jicama for the kohlrabi to get a similar crunchy texture.
- Use avocado to add creaminess to the salad.
- Substitute the salty feta cheese with goat cheese or queso fresco. These cheeses will give the salad a creamy texture.
- Replace the cucumbers with crunchy red bell peppers or chopped celery.
- Replace the red onion with shallots or green onion for a milder onion flavor.
Variations
- Add protein! Grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, roasted chickpeas, or grilled shrimp would be great additions to make this salad a complete meal.
- Add some nuts such as sunflower seeds, cashews, or almonds to make this salad denser.
- Make this dairy-free by eliminating the feta cheese.
- Use your favorite salad dressing or balsamic vinegar for a simple salad recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add olive oil, honey hot sauce, minced garlic clove, lime juice, agave nectar, salt, and pepper to a mason jar. Vigorously shake the jar to combine the ingredients.
Step 2: Place lettuce in a large bowl. Layer the watermelon, radishes, cucumber, kohlrabi, red onion, feta cheese, and mint over top. Drizzle dressing on top before serving.
Storage
This salad is best the day that it is served. To save this salad for later, I recommend storing the watermelon separately from the salad. Store the remaining salad refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to serve, add the watermelon and dressing to the salad.
Top tip
If making this salad ahead of time, keep the watermelon pieces separate from the salad. When ready to serve, place watermelon on top of salad and drizzle dressing over top.
FAQ
Kohlrabi is a vegetable that belongs to the cabbage family. It looks like a small turnip. It has a slightly sweet and crunchy taste. Kohlrabi adds texture and crunch to salads while not adding many calories.
I recommend serving watermelon salad plated and chilled. Because watermelon is a heavy ingredient, it tends to sink the salad down, and the juice from the watermelon can cause the salad to become soggy. By plating the salad, you can place the watermelon and other vegetables on top of the lettuce. Not only will this be aesthetically pleasing, but the individual portions will keep the salad from becoming soggy.
Fresh fish, grilled chicken, or grilled shrimp pair well with watermelon salad. Because watermelon salad is so fresh and light, I like to accompany my meal with something equally as light and healthy. These protein choices are great watermelon salad accompaniments.
Related
Looking for other recipes that use the best of summer produce? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Watermelon Salad:
Watermelon Salad with Kohlrabi and Hot Honey Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Sharp Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Large Serving Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups Lettuce
- 2 cups Watermelon Chopped
- 2 Mini Seedless Cucumbers Sliced
- 1 bunch Radishes Sliced
- 1/2 Red Onion Thinly Sliced
- 1 Kohlrabi Thinly Sliced into Matchsticks
- 8 ounces Feta
- 1/2 cup Mint
Honey Hot Sauce Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 tablespoon Honey Hot Sauce
- 1 Juice of a Lime
- 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar
- 1 Garlic Clove Minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, honey hot sauce, lime juice, agave nectar, garlic clove, salt, and black pepper to a mason jar. Shake vigorously to combine. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Place a bed of lettuce in a large serving bowl. Add the watermelon, cucumbers, radishes, kohlrabi, red onion, mint, and feta on top.
- Drizzle salad with hot honey dressing before serving.
Kim Parks says
Made this watermelon salad for our family this evening and it was a hit with even our picky eaters (who doesn’t love watermelon)!
Lynne Kenton says
Thanks for letting me know! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed it!