This watermelon rind coleslaw will be your new favorite dish to bring to a BBQ potluck – fresh, bright, flavorful, and unique! Thank you to The Watermelon Board for sponsoring this post.
If you’re tired of the usual suspects at summer cookouts and want to mix it up a bit with a fun new recipe, this watermelon rind coleslaw is for you! It’s refreshing and doesn’t require turning on your oven. 🙂 Plus, it uses a not-so-commonly-used part of the watermelon: the rind!
Most people throw away the rind and just eat the inside of the watermelon, but the rind actually packs an impressive nutritional punch; it’s rich in vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and potassium. Watermelon rind is also a good source of citrulline – a compound that’s a precursor to arginine, an amino acid that helps out with blood and cardiovascular health. Plus, using the rind is a great way to cut back on food waste, too!
I had never cooked with watermelon rind before making this slaw, but found that it was surprisingly easy to work with. To prep, just cut your watermelon, separating out the pink part of the watermelon (yum), the very thin green skin (toss this), and the rest of the white/light green rind. You can use a knife or a peeler! Once you have all of your chunks of white rind (in the middle below), grate away! The rind is surprisingly easy to grate – almost like the texture of a cucumber.
Once you get the grating out of the way, this recipe is super easy! The watermelon rind itself doesn’t taste like much, which makes it the perfect base for a flavorful dressing. I love using a vinaigrette dressing and fresh herbs on my slaw instead of a mayo-based dressing, because I think it tastes better and keeps everything brighter and fresher.
This slaw is flavorful enough to use as a condiment, but it’s pretty much a salad too – so it’s great as a side dish for grilled chicken or fish or as a topping on tacos, burgers, and sandwiches. Try it with my Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos, Easy Lentil Veggie Burgers, Almond Crusted Tilapia, or Jamaican Jerk Turkey Burgers (just skip the salsa and use the slaw instead)!
Here’s everything you need to put it together:
Just grate/chop the slaw, shake up the dressing, and toss it all together!
Here’s the full recipe. Enjoy!
Watermelon Rind Coleslaw
This watermelon rind coleslaw will be your new favorite dish to bring to a BBQ potluck – fresh, bright, flavorful, and unique!
Ingredients:
- About 2 cups grated watermelon rind (from ~1/2 a watermelon or 1 mini watermelon, depending on thickness of the rind)
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (dijon would work well too)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- To grate the watermelon rind: cut the flesh (the pink part you normally eat) away from the white rind. Then cut the very thin layer of green skin off of the rind (it may be easier to use a peeler for the skin). Grate the chunks of white rind on a coarse box grater. Place the grated rind in a colander and press gently to drain some of the water (no need to go crazy and get all of the juice out).
- Combine the grated watermelon rind, bell pepper, carrot, green onions, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- In a small jar, combine the apple cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the watermelon rind mixture and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Love watermelon as much as me? Here are some other fun recipes I’ve made in partnership with my friends at The Watermelon Board!
- Watermelon Chicken with Balsamic Glaze
- Fall Harvest Salad with Watermelon
- Watermelon Mojito Sorbet
- Fermented Watermelon Rind Pickles
- Sesame Shrimp and Watermelon Salad
- Watermelon Rind Gazpacho
- Chicken Gyros with Watermelon Rind Tzatziki
- Watermelon Rind Curry
- Roasted Salmon with Watermelon Salsa
Have you ever eaten watermelon rind? How did you eat it? What other uncommonly used parts of produce do you cook with?
