August 19, 2024

Spicy-Sweet Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Chili Lime Peanuts

Guess what??? It’s still Summer!

I know, right? It’s hard to believe considering everyone is talking about back-to-school stuff and there is Halloween candy out at the grocery stores.

But it’s true. And as usual, I’m hanging in there for as long as humanly possible.

I have plans to get in a few more Summer recipes while the local produce is still gorgeous and abundant. So if you’re on board with that, keep reading. And if you’re ready for pumpkin-mania…well maybe check back in here in October.

I’m a big fan of watermelon. And I love that the concept of combining watermelon with something savory and/or spicy has become more mainstream (hello watermelon plus feta cheese!). It has really opened the doors to so many interesting ways to enjoy this sweet, juicy Summer fruit.

This Spicy-Sweet Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Chili Lime Peanuts combines watermelon with all kinds of savory and spicy ingredients, including roasted poblano peppers, cherry tomatoes and some highly addicting peanuts coated with chili powder, salt, lime zest and honey. No joke, I ate half the peanuts while I was taking the photographs for this recipe. So go ahead and make the whole amount, even though you’ll probably only use about 1/3 cup for the actual salad. They won’t go to waste!

You’ll need to roast one whole poblano pepper for this recipe. Personally, I think the easiest way to do this is on my grill (instructions below). But this can also be done in your oven or even directly over your burner if you have a gas stove. In terms of heat, poblano peppers are towards the bottom of the Scoville scale and are typically less spicy than a jalapeño pepper. I used one small poblano pepper for this recipe, but you can adjust the amount as you see fit.

There truly is so much to love about this Spicy-Sweet Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Chili Lime Peanuts. The colors, flavors and textures are all so vibrant and fun. I hope you give it a try before Summer is over (insert crying emoji)!

Cheers,

Liz

Get the Recipe:

Spicy-Sweet Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Chili Lime Peanuts

At a Glance:

Yield: Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Print

Ingredients

For the Chili Lime Peanuts:

• 1 cup unsalted peanuts
• 1/2 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. ground chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Zest from 1 lime, divided
• 1 tsp. honey

For the Salad:

• 1 small poblano pepper
• 6 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. honey
• A couple dashes of ground chili powder

Instructions

1. Make the peanuts. Add the peanuts to a medium bowl and drizzle with the oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with the chili powder, salt and about half of the lime zest, tossing to coat. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned peanuts and cook, stirringly constantly, for 3-4 minutes. If the peanuts are starting to take on color, turn the heat down to low-medium. Add the honey and quickly stir to coat the peanuts in the honey and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and spread the peanuts out onto a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the remaining lime zest over top of the peanuts while they are still warm. Set aside to cool. 
2. Roast the poblano pepper. Pre-heat your grill to medium-high. Add the poblano pepper directly to your grill. Grill on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, until the skin is well charred. Remove the poblano pepper from your grill and place it in a heat safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let the poblano pepper steam for 10-15 minutes, or until it’s cool enough to handle. Once cooled, use your fingers to peel off and discard the skin. Remove and discard the stem and seeds. Chop the poblano pepper and set aside.
3. Assemble the salad. Add the watermelon, cherry tomatoes, chopped poblano pepper and mint to a large bowl. Drizzle with the lime juice, olive oil and honey and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and top with some of the peanuts and a few pinches of ground chili powder. Enjoy immediately.