This is it! Watermelon rind salad! As refreshing as a cold plunge on a scorching hot day. Plus, it's easy, and oh my goodness… is it GOOD. The main ingredient: Watermelon rind, oh yes! More deliciousness, less food waste in our lives. This salad is crunchy, tangy, yet mild and oh-so-satisfying.
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So: You're up for something fresh and crunchy, something bathing in a tangy, otherworldly delicious yogurt dressing? Something like this easy vegan watermelon rind salad, made with finely grated watermelon rind, a creamy vegan yogurt dressing, lemon, mustard, olive oil, and nigella seeds?
Yes, we're using that rind we usually toss. We're turning it into something light, crunchy, and totally cucumber-like. Of course, we could cook it, such as in this incredible watermelon rind curry.
But for today, we're going raw with it! Let's gooo!
One Little Secret to Success
Just one little tip before we dive in: the rind needs to be grated suuuper fine. I'm talking the finest of fine. The dark green outer layer is… a bit tough.
You could peel it off, but honestly, that's way too much work, and it's perfectly edible (and packed with good-for-you stuff like fiber and vitamins). So, we're keeping it on but grating it finely so our teeth stay happy (the salad will still have that perfect cucumber-like crunch we're going after).
Will I grate the watermelon rind by hand? Nope. I may sound like a broken record, but: watermelon rind is pretty tough. Grating by hand? Uh-oh, been there, done that, and I'm here being a perfect friend to you by saying: skip it. If you've got a food processor, use it! I'm using my trusty Magimix 5200XL food processor if you want to know.
Note on Ingredients
Now, let's prepare the yogurt dressing and bathe the watermelon rind in it. Nothing mysterious about the ingredients here: vegan yogurt, mustard, vinegar, lemon, and olive oil.
Plus, a little something extra that totally transforms this salad - nigella seeds. I'm obsessed with this pungent spice with a unique flavor that's hard to describe (earthy-mustardy? Mustardy-earthy?). But if you can't find them, leave them out; the salad will still be crunchy and delicious.
🍽 Recipe
Refreshing Watermelon Rind Salad (Vegan)
Equipment
- food processor (for example, a Magimix or a Breville)
Ingredients
- 900 g watermelon rind, from about 1 medium-sized watermelon*
For the dressing/sauce
- 100 g plain vegan yogurt such as soy yogurt
- 3 teaspoons semi-hot mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds plus extra for topping
- handful of pumpkin seeds for topping (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the watermelon first: Since we're using the rind, wash and scrub the whole watermelon thoroughly before cutting it open.
- Grate the watermelon rind: Using the finest grating disc of a food processor, finely shred the watermelon rind. You can also grate it by hand, but a food processor makes this much easier.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Combine: Toss the grated watermelon rind with the dressing until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with extra nigella seeds (and pumpkin seeds if using) for beauty and flavor.You can munch straight away, but the salad will also taste great the next day after chilling in the fridge.
Notes
FAQs for This Watermelon Rind Salad
Yes, I'm living proof that you can! No, seriously, it's completely edible and can be used in all sorts of dishes, both cooked and raw.
Sure! In fact, it gets even better after chilling for a few hours or overnight.
Nigella seeds (also known as black cumin or kalonji) add a slightly pungent, nutty flavor and a bit of crunch. If you can't find them, black sesame seeds or poppy seeds could work, but I'd recommend sticking with nigella seeds for their unique flavor, which really shines in this salad.
Uhm, so many things. Grilled veggies? Vegan sausages/patties? French fries? Or pile as much as you can between two burger buns for a fresh, zesty kick.
More With Watermelon Rind
- Amazing Watermelon Rind Carrot Curry
- Watermelon Rind Spread Recipe (Savory)
- Watermelon Rind & Vegan Camembert Finds | May '25 Delights
Enjoy,
Ramona
PS: If you try it, tell me in the comments how it turned out. I'm always.
♥
Ovidiu says
It looks so fresh! The combination of lemon with olive oil itself brings a lot to any salad from the start. Congratulation for this new idea for a good food.
Ramona says
Thank you, Ovidiu. I agree that lemon and olive oil are a match made in heaven for salads. Sometimes adding a splash of apple cider vinegar rounds things out, like in this salad recipe.