For a simple and refreshing summer side, this watermelon & celery salad is the recipe you need.

One of the fun things about reposting a recipe is reading the story behind it. We created a 7-course meal 11 years ago because my son loved food and cooking. The wonderful part is that he still loves cooking, and now as an adult, we regularly cook together. Make this salad, and make your own memories.

The original post from May 2013

Last week I wrote about the 7-course meal we made for our 17 year old’s birthday celebration, sharing the recipe for caramelized orange peel.  As you may have guessed, creating a meal with this many courses provided more than one new recipe.  So, while there were tried and true dishes, such as sautéed spinach, we did get to experiment a little.

One such dish was this watermelon and celery salad.  I have made plenty of fruit salads over the years, but the addition of celery made it unique.  When I was deciding on how to turn the watermelon into a salad, my son said that he really didn’t find fruit salad to be exciting.  As he explained, “It’s just a bunch of fruit together.”  Oh, how true that can be.  So, in order to make something more noteworthy, I decided to add a savory element to the dish.

I wasn’t sure how the combination of watermelon and celery would be received.  However, as celery is mild in flavor, I figured it couldn’t be a disaster.  Luckily I seem to know my family’s taste buds pretty well, as everyone enjoyed this salad.  The celery added a nice amount of crunch, which was impervious to the liquid from the watermelon and the juices.  Also, the lime juice really helped to provide contrast between its own tartness and the sweetness of the watermelon.

With summer’s unofficial arrival this holiday weekend, this salad would make a good addition to your cookout menu.

If you want a watermelon salad with a patriotic flair, you’ll want to make this watermelon, blueberry, & feta salad.

Watermelon and Celery Salad

Michele Pesula Kuegler

A simple, fresh side salad

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Chilling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt & pepper
• 3 cups cubed watermelon
• 1/2 cup diced celery

Instructions

 

• In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, combine juices and honey.
• Heat for 30 seconds in microwave, then stir until honey is full incorporated.
• Set aside to cool.
• Combine watermelon and celery in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• Pour cooled juice mixture over salad and toss.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, allowing flavors to meld.