Nitrate & Nitrite Free Crisp Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad
Few summer dishes hit as hard as this one — juicy watermelon, cool cucumber, and fresh mint come together in a bowl that looks stunning and tastes even better. The apple cider vinegar dressing adds just enough brightness to balance the sweetness, while a drizzle of raw honey (totally optional) rounds everything out without overpowering the fresh flavors. Every single ingredient here is whole and unprocessed, so you never have to second-guess what's actually in your food — no cured meats, no packaged shortcuts, nothing with hidden preservatives lurking on the label. That matters more than people realize, since nitrates and nitrites show up in a surprising number of store-bought salad additions and dressings. Here, the dressing is whisked together in minutes from pantry staples you can actually name. Letting the salad rest for ten minutes before serving is the small but important step that brings the whole thing to life, as the watermelon releases its juice and the flavors bloom together. Serve it at a backyard cookout or alongside a simple weeknight dinner and watch it disappear fast.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 6 cups seedless watermelon, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp raw honey (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the watermelon cubes and sliced cucumber to a large mixing bowl.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and honey, if using, until combined.
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