Recipe: Watermelon with Chili Lime Salt by William W. Li, MD

A fiesta of flavors bursting with color, hydration and lycopene. Make extra chili lime salt, it tastes amazing on just about anything. Store the salt in a covered container in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks. 

Serves: 8 pieces

Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes + 24 hours to dry lime zest

Ingredients:
Zest of one lime, grated and dried at room temperature for 24 hours*
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons red chili flakes
8 slices ripe watermelon

Preparation:
To make the salt, place the air-dried lime zest, salt and chili flakes in a mortar and pestle and grind until ingredients are well combined and at desired consistency. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, pulse ingredients in a spice grinder or food processor. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of the mixture over a slice of watermelon and serve. Reserve leftover salt to flavor dips, salads, sauces and marinades. 

Nutrition Per Serving (1 piece of watermelon with ¼ teaspoon of salt)
Calories: 43
Total fat: 0g 
Saturated fat: 0g
Carbohydrate: 11g
Protein: 1g
Sodium: 142mg

*Drying the zest makes the spice mixture easier to sprinkle and allows for you store it for later. If you plan to use it all at once, the drying step is optional. 

Recipe shared with permission from Dr. William Li from his newest book: “Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer.” Dr. William Li, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and New York Times bestselling author. His groundbreaking work has led to the development of more than 40 new medical treatments and impacts care for more than 70 diseases including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease and obesity. You can follow Dr. Li on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.