Watermelon and cucumber salad is refreshing and easy to make

This salad is a quadruple threat of refreshment, with each of its four main elements offering a unique layer of quenching flavor. At its base are two cooling food A-listers: chunks of juicy watermelon and crunchy cucumber.

They are brought together in a lime and olive oil dressing that’s spiked with another refreshing ingredient: freshly grated ginger. Ginger’s enlivening zing counterbalances the watermelon’s sweetness and bridges it to the more savory cucumber, while torn mint leaves, tossed in at the end, add a fourth layer of cool freshness.

It’s a salad that pairs especially well with a grilled protein slathered in barbecue sauce because its flavors echo the sauce’s fruity-savory elements while offering a welcome, contrasting cool. That, along with its bright festive look, make it on-point for that upcoming holiday cookout.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad With Ginger, Lime and Mint

1 ¼ pounds diced watermelon (about 4 cups)

1 medium English cucumber, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch-thick pieces (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

In a large bowl, toss the watermelon and cucumber until combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, ginger and salt until combined. Drizzle the dressing over the watermelon and cucumber and gently toss to coat, then add the mint.

Gently toss to combine and serve.

Yield: 4 servings