High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Vegan Watermelon Carpaccio
Few dishes look as stunning on a table as thinly sliced watermelon fanned across a platter, and this one delivers serious visual drama with almost no effort. The dressing is a bright, simple whisk of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, and agave syrup — that last ingredient doing the sweetening work without any of the processed corn-derived syrups that sneak into so many store-bought dressings and condiments. Agave keeps things clean and naturally sweet, which matters when you're trying to avoid hidden additives in something as casual as a summer starter. Layered on top, cool cucumber, paper-thin red onion, fresh mint, and torn basil turn the whole thing into something that tastes as lively as it looks. A brief chill in the fridge lets the lime dressing soak into the watermelon just enough to deepen every bite. Finished with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a squeeze of lime at the table, it's refreshing, herbaceous, and genuinely elegant — the kind of dish that disappears fast at any gathering.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 small seedless watermelon (about 5–6 lb), rind removed
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
- ½ english cucumber, very thinly sliced
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tbsp capers, drained (optional)
For serving
- flaky sea salt, for finishing
- lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Stand the watermelon half cut-side down on the cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the flesh into rounds about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, then cut each round into half-moons or leave whole if small enough to fan attractively on the platter.
- 2
Arrange the watermelon slices in overlapping, slightly fanned layers across a large serving platter, covering the surface evenly.
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