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Lightly smoky with big sweet, citrusy, and salty flavors

There's always this little sweet spot in summer where I start thinking that I could happily subside on mostly cold watermelon without complaint. It's that little pocket of the season where it's sweltering hot and all I want is something cold and refreshing to eat, and the watermelons have reached peak seasonality and sweetness. One of my favorite ways to enjoy watermelon during this time is this Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey.

This dish starts with a base of thick and creamy labneh cheese and a generous drizzle of honey. Fresh summer sweet watermelon gets treated with a light dusting of smoky chili powder, a big squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkle of Kosher salt and then layered on top, finishing with a dusting of fresh lime zest. This summer side dish is lightly smoky, with big sweet, citrusy, and salty flavors.

How to choose the best watermelon

There are a few simple tips you can utilize when choosing a watermelon to ensure it's nicely ripe and sweet:

Pick it up. Whether you are using a large or mini watermelon, it should feel heavy for its size.
Inspect the skin. The stripes of your watermelon should be a nice dark green and creamy yellow. Webbing and weather spots are also a good sign that your watermelon will be nice and sweet
Locate the field spot. This spot marks where the watermelon sat on the ground while it grew. If the spot is creamy yellow, the watermelon is ripe. If the spot is pale yellow or white it isn't ripe yet.
Give it a little thump. A perfectly ripe watermelon will produce a hollow sound when gently thumped. If it's not yet ripe enough, or overripe, the sound will be more dull.
Buy in season. Depending on where you live, your season may be different. In the US, watermelon can start to come into season in warmer southern climates as early as May. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I find that we start getting really good watermelon later into the season in July and August.

How to prep the watermelon

I prefer to serve this Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey with the rind still intact on one end so people can pick the pieces up by hand -- though it's just as great sliced into wedges or cut into rindless cubes. If you'd like to cut your watermelon into sticks, the best method I've found for doing this is is below:

Place a clean slightly damp kitchen towel underneath your cutting board to help your board from becoming slippery and moving around as the watermelon juice drips out. If you prefer, you can, instead, line the top of the board with the towel, if feel like you need to keep the watermelon itself a little sturdier as you cut.
Slice ½ inch or so of the stem end of the watermelon off and discard that piece.
Turn the watermelon onto the exposed end so it's resting flat on the cutting board. Slice the watermelon top-down into slices, roughly 1 ½-inch wide. You'll end up with long, wide slices of watermelon with rind on one end and two slices that contain mostly rind on the outer edge (the two outside pieces). You can discard the two end pieces or scoop the fruit out and enjoy it on its own.
Lay each slice flat with the rind pointing forward and cut straight down from the rind into 1 ½-inch sticks. Trim any ends as needed so you just have rind on one end of the sticks.

Making labneh

Labneh Cheese is a soft cheese made of strained yogurt that is popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. The texture is smooth and creamy and depending on how long it’s strained, the consistency can be as light as a thick dip or as dense and moldable as thick cream cheese. Labneh can be prepped in a matter of minutes with 3 simple ingredients and then transferred to the fridge for a totally hands-off finish. The flavor is creamy and tangy and pairs equally well with sweet, savory, and spicy dishes. Find my recipe for Easy Labneh Cheese here. You'll want to prep a batch of Labneh a minimum of 6 hours (or the day before) before you assemble this dish.

What to serve with Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey

I love serving this sweet watermelon side dish with grilled summer proetins, BBQ, and spicy main dishes, such as:

Grilled Greek Chicken (coming soon!)
Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
Grilled Chicken Wings with Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce
Grilled Chicken Wings with Chipotle Peach BBQ Sauce
Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Chili Lime Cauliflower Rice

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

A cutting board
A clean kitchen towel (optional)
A chef's knife
A kitchen scale
Measuring spoons
A citrus juicer
A citrus zester

For the Easy Labneh Cheese recipe you will also need:

2 - mixing bowls
A sieve that can nest over one of the mixing bowls (there should be atleast 1 inch of space between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the sieve)
A spoon or spatula for mixing
4-6 layers of cheesecloth, around 12×12 in size
A rubber band or kitchen twine
A heavy plate or can (to weigh the top down)

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

LOOKING FOR MORE SUMMER SIDE DISH INSPIRATION?

Love this Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey? Here are some additional summer side dish recipes I love:

A note for special diets

This recipe for Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey is easily made friendly for gluten-free and vegetarian diets.

Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey

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Author: Whip & Wander
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Sides, Salads & Dressings
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: Mexican / Middle Eastern

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Description

This Watermelon with Labneh and Honey starts with a base of thick and creamy labneh cheese and a generous drizzle of honey. Fresh summer sweet watermelon gets treated with a light dusting of smoky chili powder, a big squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkle of Kosher salt and then layered on top, finishing with a dusting of fresh lime zest. This summer side dish is lightly smoky, with big sweet, citrusy, and salty flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

1 batch Easy Labneh Cheese (prepped a minimum of 6-hrs before for or 1-day prior)
6 tbsp honey, plus more to taste
3 lb mini watermelon, prechilled if desired
½ tsp chili powder, plus more to taste
2 tbsp lime juice + reserve lime zest to top
½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste

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Instructions

Prep the watermelon. I prefer to serve this Chili Lime Watermelon with Labneh and Honey with the rind still intact on one end so people can pick the pieces up by hand -- though it's just as great sliced into wedges or cut into rindless cubes. If you'd like to cut your watermelon into sticks, the best method I've found for doing this is is below:
1. Place a clean slightly damp kitchen towel underneath your cutting board to help your board from becoming slippery and moving around as the watermelon juice drips out. If you prefer, you can, instead, line the top of the board with the towel, if feel like you need to keep the watermelon itself a little sturdier as you cut.
2. Slice ½ inch or so of the stem end of the watermelon off and discard that piece.
3. Turn the watermelon onto the exposed end so it's resting flat on the cutting board. Slice the watermelon top-down into slices, roughly 1 ½-inch wide. You'll end up with long, wide slices of watermelon with rind on one end and two slices that contain mostly rind on the outer edge (the two outside pieces). You can discard the two end pieces or scoop the fruit out and enjoy on its own.
4. Lay each slice flat with the rind pointing forward and cut straight down from the rind into 1 ½-inch sticks. Trim any ends as needed so you just have rind on one end of the sticks.
Arrange the watermelon into one even layer across the cutting board and sprinkle half of the chili powder, half of the lime juice, and half of the salt across the top. Rotate each of the watermelon sticks twice so that the dressed side is now on the bottom. Sprinkle the remaining half of the chili powder, lime juice, and salt across the top. Continue turning the watermelon sticks until they are reasonably evenly coated.
- Alternatively, if you choose to cube the watermelon instead of cutting it into sticks, you can top it with the full amount of chili powder, lime, juice, and salt at once and toss gently to combine.
On a large platter, spread the labneh cheese in a reasonably even layer. Drizzle the top of the labneh with honey, then top with the watermelon. You can optionally give the watermelon an extra small drizzle of honey if your watermelon isn't especially sweet, but it's not necessary if your watermelon is nicely ripe sweet.
Sprinkle the top with the reserved lime zest and serve cold.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 265
Sugar: 34 g
Sodium: 247 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 15 g
Cholesterol: 27 mg

Keywords: watermelon, labneh, honey, lime