Spicy Avocado and Watermelon Salad

Mixing both pink and yellow watermelon makes for a gloriously coloured summer salad. If you can’t find the yellow variety, just use pink watermelon. This salad works well with Mexican dishes such as tostadas, as well as Asian-inspired dishes such as noodle stir-fries.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grated palm sugar

60ml (1/4 cup) balsamic vinegar

1/2 small fresh jalapeno chill, finely chopped

500g pink seedless watermelon, chilled

500g (1 lb 2 oz) yellow seedless watermelon, chilled

1/2 red onion, finely sliced

200g (1 cup) finely sliced feta

1 avocado, diced

100g snow pea (mangetout) shoots

1 long red chilli, finely sliced

4 finger limes (*see note)

60ml (1/4 cup) lime juice

Salt flakes, for sprinkling

Method

Place the palm sugar, vinegar and jalapeno chili in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until nice and thick. Set aside to cool slightly.

Cut the melons into 1 cm thick slices, then into wedges. Remove the outer rind.

Arrange the melon wedges on a large platter, along with the onion, feta, avocado, snow pea shoots, chilli and the ‘caviar’ from the finger limes. Drizzle the lime juice over the salad, followed by the balsamic glaze.

Sprinkle with salt flakes and serve immediately. 

Note: Commonly referred to as ‘lime caviar’, the finger lime is a native Australian fruit typically grown in warm, subtropical climates such as southern Queensland. To remove the finger lime caviar, simply cut the lime in half horizontally and gently squeeze the lime to push the caviar out. If you are unable to find finger limes, you can peel and segment a standard lime as an alternative.

This is an edited recipe extract from The Vegetable: Recipes that celebrate nature by Vicki Valsamis and Caroline Griffiths.

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