Watermelon Radish Salad with Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette
How gorgeous is this salad?! I found that putting together this recipe was so therapeutic…almost like creating a piece of art. Not only are the colors stunning, but the flavor combinations in this salad are unreal as well. Beautiful curly tendrils of peppery arugula are tossed with bright, crisp slices of watermelon radish. Sweet Cara Cara orange supremes and the slight saltiness of crumbled feta are the perfect addition. Drizzle a little homemade Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette and you have the most beautiful spring salad to celebrate upcoming Earth Day…or any day. This salad would be the perfect base of a grilled piece of fish or even with chicken..but for now, let’s just marvel at how simple this dish is…because the ingredients are so naturally beautiful, any way you toss them together, it looks like a gourmet meal.
Watermelon radishes’ flesh is white closest to the exterior and becomes bright, with circular striations of pink and magenta toward the center. The flesh is tender crispy, succulent and firm. It has a mild, slightly peppery yet mostly sweet flavor. They come in a variety of sizes, from golf ball to soft ball size. They can be used fresh or cooked, and pair really well with fennel, apple, cheeses such as feta or chevre, white fish, vinaigrettes, citrus…the list goes on. They’re also wonderful when pickled! With that said, here is a recipe for a wonderfully simple salad that according to my taste-testing friend was like “an explosion of flavor in your mouth” :) Let’s get cookin!
Watermelon Radish Salad:
- 2 medium sized Watermelon Radishes
- 1 Cara Cara orange, or even sweet plums if they’re in season
- Handful of baby arugula
- Sprinkling of feta cheese
- Avocado is optional but also delicious!
- Sprinkling of sea salt
Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette:
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 inch piece of ginger, finely grated
- 1 clove of garlic, finely grated
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- cracked pepper to taste
- This dish is really simple. You basically toss everything together, but I’ll give you a little more details on how to prepare watermelon radish! :)
- Wash and peel the skin off of the watermelon radishes. Use a mandolin to thinly slice off rounds of the radish.
- Aren’t they gorgeous inside? What I love is that each radish varies slightly..some of brighter shades of magenta, and some are more green and delicate.
- Place the slices on a paper towel and give them a sprinkling of sea salt. This helps to tenderize the radishes. Let them sit for about 5 minutes and pat them dry with another paper towel.
- Wash and dry your arugula.
- Supreming is a technique that removes the membrane from citrus fruit so it can be served in slices. To supreme a citrus fruit, begin by trimming off the very bottom and top of the fruit with a sharp knife. Set the fruit on its end and carefully cut the skin from its flesh, beginning at the top and following the curves down.
- Carefully cut out each section of fruit by inserting the blade of a paring knife between the flesh and white membrane on both sides. The wedges of fruit should come out easily, leaving you with perfect little segments of citrus.
- On your serving dish, toss together arugula, watermelon radish slices, segments of Cara Cara orange, and sprinkle Feta cheese over top. As I mentioned before, a beautiful piece of grilled or panfried white fish would be fantastic with this.
- To prepare the homemade Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, soy, grated ginger and grated garlic. Add a crack of black pepper and drizzle the dressing over your finished salad! :) That’s it!
I love Spring and all the beautiful fruits and veggies that come in season. There are so many possibilities for light and healthy meals! What are your favorite Spring produce?
I hope you all have a great week! If you try any recipes, let me know! :) I love to hear about your experiences with my recipes, good or bad! Tag your pictures with #brokeandcooking @bac_blog or @stephaniejung :) xoxo