Watermelon and Cucumber Salad for a Crowd

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another salad designed to feed a crowd. Like the green bean salad that was featured yesterday, this one uses the rag-tag ends of summer produce to make a salad whose savory and sweet elements are combined to make an unusual salad that will be new to many. It's a personal favorite of mine. The combination of watermelon and crunchy cucumbers provides a sweetness and texture that I love. It takes about 15 minutes to make this almost effortless salad, but I do have one caution to share with you. Don't assemble this salad too far ahead of serving time. Think of this as a goop alert. For maximum flavor, all salad ingredients should be icy cold before they are combined, and if you want your salad to look as good as it tastes, don't let it sit for more than 2 hours once the ingredients have been combined. This is a dish that can be made by young cooks, so if you are lucky enough to have one eager to help in the kitchen let them chop away. This salad is always well received and, fortunately, I've never had to worry about handling leftovers. If you have never tried this salad I urge you to do so. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the flavor punch this unusual combination of ingredients packs. Here is how the salad is made.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Healthy Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
8 cups cubed seedless watermelon
2 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1) Combine watermelon, cucumbers, green onions and mint in a a large bowl.
2) Add vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
3) Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 hours before serving. Yield: 16 servings.

                    

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