Watermelon & Celery Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette ♥

Today's totally captivating summer salad, a quick mix of ripe watermelon and, get this, celery! Weight Watchers Friendly, PointsPlus 3. Low Cal. Naturally Gluten Free. Paleo. Not just vegan, "Vegan Done Real".

I know, I know. Of course you're questioning this combination, watermelon and celery. Sure the colors are bright and pretty but do watermelon and celery, you know, go together? In a word? YES.

My friend Ann served this captivating salad at book club last month. She first found the recipe on the New York Times Cooking app and has made it over and over all summer, her now-strapping teenage boys "eat it up". (Side Note #1 I first wrote about her sons when they were little guys, Power Food Broccoli Salad. How the years do pass! Side Note #2 Ann and I both love the NYT app, especially how it stays in synch on the desktop, iPad and iPhone!)

Back to the celery. Yes, it works with watermelon! And isn't it rare, you know, to find something that really lets celery stand out and jump around and grab a little attention? One word to the wise, this salad needs to sit for a few hours before it's served. Make it in the morning, no later than lunch, say, to serve for dinner.

RECIPE for WATERMELON & CELERY SALAD

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

HONEY-LIME VINAIGRETTE
Zest of 1 lime
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey (or agave for vegan)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or another good, clear or fruity vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

WATERMELON & CELERY SALAD
3 cups (450g) watermelon balls or cubes
2 ribs (114g) celery, cut thin on the diagonal
1/4 cup (25g) toasted almonds

HONEY-LIME VINAIGRETTE Stir together all the ingredients in a large bowl.

WATERMELON & CELERY SALAD Gently stir watermelon, celery and almonds into the Vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
If your celery ribs have any leaves, chop them up for the salad too.
I keep whole toasted almonds on hand all the time so chopped those. For aesthetics, almond slivers or sliced almonds would be better. Does anyone else have a devil of a time remembering which ones are slivers and which ones are sliced? Can't do it!

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from a recipe from my friend Ann who got it from the New York Times Cooking app but is so simple, I just made up my own version on the fly.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 94 Calories; 3g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 24mg Sodium; 16g Carb; 2g Fiber; 12g Sugar; 2g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS: WW Old Points 2 & WW PointsPlus 3

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MORE SUMMER MELON SALADS

~ Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad ~
~ Melon, Blueberry & Feta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette ~
~ Mixed Fruit & Vegetable Salad ~
~ more "vegetables with fruit" recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil ~
~ Five-Minute Fruit Salad ~
~ Mexican Fruit Salad ~
~ more melon recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

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