Watermelon with shrimp and feta
Watermelon charred in a smoking pan, with shrimp, salty feta, lime and chili.
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Total time
34 min, show breakdown
- Prep 20 min
- Cook 8 min
- Clean up 6 min
- Pans
- 1
- Ingredients
- 9
- Cost/serving
- $5.80
Per serving
- Calories
- 408
- Protein
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 1.5 g
- Net carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 23 g
High in (% Daily Value per serving): Selenium 115%, Vitamin B12 96%, Riboflavin (B2) 31%, Vitamin B6 31%, Zinc 31%, Vitamin E 29%, Niacin (B3) 29%, Vitamin C 28%, Vitamin K 27%, Calcium 26%
Whole recipe (): . Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.
Everything else is scaled from this.
Nutrition per serving is the whole batch divided by this.
Already egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.
Ingredients for 2
Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.
You changed this recipe. Nutrition and cost include your changes. This combination hasn't been tested.
300 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Same amount as: 10½ oz.
2 cups watermelon (304 g), cut in 3 cm (1¼ in) cubes
Same amount as: 480 mL.
2 tbsp olive oil (27 g)
Same amount as: 30 mL.
- ¼ medium red onion (28 g)
2 tbsp lime juice (30 g)
Same amount as: 30 mL, 1 lime squeezed from fresh limes.
- ½ medium jalapeño (7 g)
½ cup feta, crumbled (75 g)
Same amount as: 120 mL.
2 cups arugula (40 g)
Same amount as: 480 mL.
¼ cup fresh mint leaves (4 g)
Same amount as: 60 mL.
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Use the menu next to each ingredient to skip it, halve it or add more. Nutrition updates as you go. The main ingredient changes with servings instead.
Amount for everything you're cooking. Missing an ingredient? Ask for it.
Healthier swaps
Optional. Nutrition and cost update as you choose; the recipe was written with the original.
Optional
Adds about 0 kcal per serving.
Quantities are for 2 servings. Watermelon and shrimp each need their own single layer. Past 2 servings, sear in rounds and keep the first batch on a plate. Eat right away; it does not keep.
Nutrition Facts
2 servings per recipe
Serving size 1 plate (408 g raw)
| Nutrient | Per serving | % DV* | Whole recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 408 | ||
| Total fat | 23 g | 29% | |
| Saturated fat | 7.7 g | 38% | |
| Cholesterol | 275 mg | 92% | |
| Sodium | 761 mg | 33% | |
| Total carbohydrate | 17 g | 6% | |
| Dietary fiber | 1.5 g | 5% | |
| Total sugars | 12 g | ||
| Net carbs† | 15 g | ||
| Protein | 37 g | 74% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.15 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 334 mg | 26% | |
| Iron | 1.6 mg | 9% | |
| Potassium | 495 mg | 11% | |
| Vitamin A | 120 mcg | 13% | |
| Vitamin C | 25 mg | 28% | |
| Vitamin E | 4.3 mg | 29% | |
| Vitamin K | 32 mcg | 27% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.16 mg | 13% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.4 mg | 31% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.7 mg | 29% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.52 mg | 31% | |
| Folate | 72 mcg | 18% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.3 mcg | 96% | |
| Magnesium | 69 mg | 17% | |
| Zinc | 3.4 mg | 31% | |
| Selenium | 63 mcg | 115% |
Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.
* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.
Steps
Lay the watermelon cubes on a double layer of paper towel and pat the tops dry. Leave 10 minutes while you do the rest.
Done looks like: Surfaces look matte, not wet. Slice the onion paper-thin and put it in a small bowl with the lime juice and 1 pinch of salt. Slice the jalapeño thinly. Thaw the shrimp if frozen, pat them very dry, and season with the rest of the salt and the pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan on high for 3 minutes, until it just starts to smoke. Pat the watermelon dry again and add it in one layer. Do not move it for 60–90 seconds. Turn each cube once and sear 1 minute more. Move to a plate.
Done looks like: Dark caramelized patches on two sides. Still firm inside, not slumped. Wipe the pan if there is sticky juice in it. Heat the rest of the oil on medium-high and cook the shrimp in one layer, 1–2 minutes a side.
Done looks like: Pink all over and curled into a loose C. Build each plate: arugula, then watermelon and shrimp. Crumble the feta over, scatter the onion and jalapeño, and spoon the lime from the onion bowl over everything. Tear the mint on top at the last second.
Taste one bite with a bit of everything. Too sweet: more lime or a pinch of salt. Flat: more jalapeño. Every forkful should be sweet, salty, sour and hot at once.
Equipment
Large frying pan or skillet, 30 cm (12 in) $25–60
What to look for
- Wide flat base so food cooks in one layer
- Stainless steel or cast iron for high heat
Skip: Woks on flat electric stoves; they do not heat evenly there.
Silicone spatula $5–12
What to look for
- One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
- Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick
Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.
Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50
What to look for
- Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
- Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years
Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.
Cutting board $10–30
What to look for
- At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
- Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher
Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.
What goes wrong
| What | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Watermelon turns to mush and stews in pink juice | Pan not hot enough, watermelon wet, or too many cubes at once. | Preheat on high for the full 3 minutes, dry the cubes twice, and leave space between them. |
| Rubbery shrimp | Cooked past the loose C. | Pull them the moment they turn pink. A tight O means overcooked. |
| Tastes like fruit salad with shrimp in it | Not enough salt and acid to pull it savory. | More feta, lime and salt. The sweetness should be the surprise, not the main taste. |
Versions
| Version | Changes | Per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Original | As written. Hands-on 20 min, total 34 min. | 408 kcal 37 g protein 1.5 g fiber 15 g net carbs 23 g fat |
| Vegetarian | Paneer instead of shrimp. Hands-on 20 min, total 34 min. | 602 kcal 28 g protein 1.5 g fiber 19 g net carbs 47 g fat |
Notes
Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.
Pregnancy: Use feta made from pasteurized milk. Cook shrimp until pink and opaque all the way through.