Food Recipes Watermelon Salad With Pickled Rind 5.0 (1) 1 Review This beautiful, salty-sweet summer salad is perfect for delighting party guests. By Julia Levy Julia Levy Julia Levy has been testing and developing recipes for over eight years. She has worked in the culinary arts since 2009 as a humble line cook and intern. In her 12-plus years in the food industry, she has held various positions such as prep cook, food runner, and test kitchen assistant. She began her recipe-developing career at Oxmoor House and currently creates recipes for Real Simple, among many others. Highlights: * Received her Bachelor's of Science in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University * Received an Associate of Occupational Studies, Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America * Published at Southern Living, HuffPost, New York Daily News, Health, Cooking Light, and more Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 14, 2021 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Servings: 8 It's time to return to the glory of pickled watermelon rind, and this is the recipe to help you do it. After cutting the rind off the fruit, you'll quick-pickle it in a chili-spiked mixture. Once pickled, the rind offers tart balance to sweet watermelon cubes and rich, whipped feta. Serve topped with peppery arugula and a confetti of chopped salted pistachios. It's an elegant, pretty dish that's worthy of special occasions. P.S. The whipped feta is good enough to make again on its own. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and veggies or breadsticks for dipping. P.P.S. If the pickled watermelon rind is a bridge too far, skip it. The salad will still be amazing. Ingredients 1 seedless watermelon (about 3 lb.) 1 cup apple cider vinegar ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups) 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) 3 cups baby arugula ¼ cup chopped roasted, salted pistachios flaky sea salt, for serving 2 tablespoon olive oil Directions Remove outer green rind from watermelon with a vegetable peeler; discard. Trim off ends. With watermelon standing upright, carefully cut white rind away from flesh. Place watermelon in a bowl or plate to avoid drips; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Chop white rind into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, kosher salt, mustard seeds, crushed red pepper, and black pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add rind cubes. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour. Refrigerate in liquid for 1 hour. (Pickled rind may be refrigerated in pickling liquid for up to 2 weeks.) Meanwhile, process feta, yogurt, and whipping cream in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; process until combined, about 15 seconds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 3 days). Quarter whole watermelon lengthwise and cut into slices. Spread whipped feta onto a large platter. Top with watermelon slices and arugula. Sprinkle with pistachios, desired amount of pickled rind, flaky sea salt, and black pepper. Drizzle with oil. Rate It Print