WATERMELON BURGERS WITH CHEESE

Watermelon Burgers With Cheese image

Here is a surprising vegetarian option for the backyard barbecue. The saltiness of the cheese cuts the sweetness of the watermelon. The burger gets its savory nature from the grill and a hit of onion.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories dinner, quick, weekday, main course

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

1 small watermelon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced onion
Salt
black pepper
4 ounces mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Gruyère or other melting cheese, grated or sliced

Steps:

Heat a charcoal or gas grill to moderately high heat and put the rack about 4 inches from the flame. Cut the watermelon lengthwise, into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the melon. From each length, cut 11/2-inch-thick slices; remove the rind from each slice. If there are black seeds, use a fork to remove as many of them as you can without beating the flesh up too much.
Mix the olive oil with the onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush or rub the mixture all over the watermelon slices. Grill or broil for about 5 minutes on each side. The flesh should be lightly caramelized and dried out a bit. Sprinkle each slice with cheese, cover the grill and cook just until the cheese melts, about a minute.
Serve on buns, toast or hard rolls with the usual burger fixings.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 248, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 33 grams, Fat 12 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 1040 milligrams, Sugar 26 grams, TransFat 0 grams