Watermelon-Mint Salad

This is the salad to bring to a summer cookout, bright and easy enough that no one will think twice about what is on your plate. 15 minutes, no cooking, and a bowl that tastes like the season. Having a few dishes like this in your back pocket makes eating this way feel like a genuine pleasure, not a project.

What you are eating here is mostly water and color. Watermelon is hydrating and a gentle source of vitamin C, and the arugula and mint bring in leafy greens, which carry polyphenols studied for their role in a calmer inflammatory response. It is light, cooling food for a hot day, and it sits easily on a body that is working hard.

Let the contrast be beautiful: deep pink watermelon, peppery green arugula, the thin red of onion, flecks of mint. Whisk the dressing, drizzle it just before serving so nothing goes soft, and take a breath before you eat. A cool, bright plate, eaten slowly, is its own small pleasure.

Ingredients

• 2 lb watermelon, cubed
• 2 cups arugula, chopped
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons mint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

The source version includes 1/2 cup feta, which is left out here, since dairy is excluded on the elimination phase. The salad is bright and complete without it. The greens are flexible, so purslane, spinach, microgreens, or a mixed blend all work in place of the arugula if you prefer a softer, less bitter green.

Method

• Toss the watermelon, arugula, red onion, and mint together in a large bowl.
• Whisk the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together, then drizzle over the salad just before serving.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*