Fire up that grill for this light and refreshing Summer meal of grilled watermelon salad paired with curried shrimp and mache. An absolutely delicious combination of flavors.
About This Recipe
It’s just starting to get hot here in Denver, Summertime hot. And for a couple of weeks now, we’ve starting seeing huge bins of big beautiful green and white stripped watermelon in front of our markets. Hallelujah! I can eat the stuff all Summer long.
The watermelons that are available to us right now are from Texas. Our famous Colorado Rocky Ford Melons won’t be available for another month.
Did you know that the small town of Rocky Ford Colorado hails itself as the “Sweet Melon Capital of the World”. That’s because hot days, cool nights and a relatively high elevation help farmers grow some of the sweetest cantaloupe on the planet And believe me, every single bite is lush and cherished.
So back to this grilled Watermelon salad recipe.
Never grilled watermelon? Grilling watermelon gives it a smoky nuance and a caramelized flavor. It’s divine if you do it right. Let’s take a look.
Steps and Procedures
How To Grill Watermelon
- For The Caramelization Slice watermelon about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle with sugar on one side only.
- Place on Grill Place sugared side down on a hot grill that’s been coated with oil.
- How Long To Grill Watermelon? Grill for only 2 – 3 minutes, peeking underneath until you see good solid grill marks on the cooking side.
- You’re Done: Don’t turn that watermelon over. Grilling on one side is enough to keep the fruit from getting soggy. It’s ready to serve. Grilled side up of course.
Flavor Profile
The grilled watermelon takes on a caramelized texture and taste due to the addition of sugar. And as with any grilled food, brings a smoky flavor to the dish.
The bright flavor of curry pairs so well with sweet shrimp. Curry has such a unique flavor due to the combination of sweet and savory ingredients, like cumin and turmeric. It’s earthy flavor is a beautiful compliment to sweet tender shrimp.
This recipe calls for Mache. What is Mache? Mache is a European salad green with small tender leaves. This little lettuce is sweet, soft and velvety. I hope you can find it. I’ve seen it at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. If you can’t find Mache, substitute tender butter lettuce.
This grilled watermelon salad is beautiful and fresh, crunchy with cucumber, lively with lime juice and cool with mint.
The real treat comes into play with the creamy Greek Yogurt. It’s tangy flavor seems to balance the whole flavor experience for the grilled watermelon salad.
To Plate: Swirl a large dollop of the yogurt on each plate. Arrange a slice of watermelon, the shrimp and greens on top. Mache works beautifully here or watercress.
Be sure to swirl each fork full through the yogurt.
It’s a unique and exciting light Summer meal. And healthy!
Recipe for Grilled Watermelon Salad with Curried Shrimp
I hope you give this grilled watermelon salad a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite grilled watermelon recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Summer Shrimp Salad Recipes
- Blackened Shrimp Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, A recipe from one of our favorite “high-brow” Denver restaurants. A refreshing entree that’s light but in a hearty way.
- Shrimp “lettuce wrap” Tacos, with lime dressing and crunchy vegetables is gloriously refreshing in flavor.
- Avocado Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing, A Jamaican roadside stand inspired dish with sweet shrimp simmered in a peppery broth.
Note: For this photo, I couldn’t find mache so purchased watercress. Which I found to be a bit too bitter. You can also use tender butter lettuce.
Grilled Watermelon Salad with Curried Shrimp
Ingredients
- For the Grilled Watermelon
- 2 slices watermelon seedless, rind removed, sliced 1 inch thick
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- For the Curried Shrimp
- 16 large shrimp peeled, deveined and tails left on
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
- For the Salad
- ½ English cucumber coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Cup tender greens mache or watercress
- ½ cup Greek-style whole-milk yogurt
Instructions
- For The Shrimp: In a bowl combine curry powder and oil and mix well.
- Add shrimp to the oil and curry mixture and marinate in refrigerator for one hour, covered. In the meantime prepare the mache salad.
- Heat a large fry pan over med-high heat. Add some of the oil marinade, add shrimp and saute about 2 minutes per side. Or using a grill basket, grill shrimp for about 2 minutes per side.
- For the Mache Salad: Combine all ingredients except yogurt in a bowl and toss well. Set aside.
- For the Watermelon: Heat grill or grill pan to medium. Brush grates or pan with olive oil.
- Sprinkle each slice of watermelon with sugar on one side only.
- Place sugared side down on hot grill. Grill for 2 – 3 minutes peeking underneath until you see good grill marks on the cooking side. Don't turn, just grill on one side and serve.
- To Plate: Swirl a large dollop of the yogurt on each plate. Arrange a slice of watermelon, the shrimp and the mache salad on top. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
I love your version! I would never have thought to pair mache with cucumbers. Thanks to let me know 🙂
I have never tasted mache – what exactly is it? This is gorgeous! I’m excited to give it try!