I am always a little surprised when people look at me quizzically when I declare my love of Honeydew. Watermelon is a staple, a good Chanterais melon requires a second mortgage around here, Galia can sometime dissapoint, but a good Honeydew brings perfect melon texture and sweetness and pairs just beautifully with lime, jalapeño, mint and the crunch of the cucumber for a simple, yet completely satisfying Summer dish.
I disrupted the monochrome with some pickled onions because they just added a wonderful shot of colour, but you could also shake things up with different melon varieties or a little dairy – some feta, burrata, manouri, or grilled haloumi. Or just keep it green and glorious. Either way, I urge even the “fruit in salad” resisters to give this a go.
Personally, I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the final days of summer……
Melon & Cucumber Salad
- 1/2 a large honeydew melon
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- a healthy forkful of pickled onions (optional)
- 50g toasted and roughly chopped pistachios
- a good pinch of salt
- zest and juice of a lime (more to taste)
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
Optional Extras / Variations
- feta
- burrata
- manouri
- grilled haloumi
- any melon variety that you love
The quantities here are a guide, but please use your judgement on the ratios depending on the size of your melon and cucumbers (no this is not a euphemism hahaha).
Cut your melon into bit size pieces and place in a medium size bowl.
I like to slice my cucumbers into wedges on a 45 degree angle (see attached video) but slices work well too (although you may need less cucumber if you slice them in rounds).
Add the cucumbers to the melon. Thinly slice the jalapeño and taste for heat. They vary a lot. If its very hot make sure you remove the seeds and their membrane and you may not want to add the whole thing so taste as you go.
Next, and add the pickled onions, and most of the mint leaves and pistachios, leaving some behind for garnish. Give everything a good sprinkling of sea salt and zest the lime over the salad before squeezing the juice and finishing off with a drizzle of olive oil.
Mix everything together so they are fully dressed and transfer to a shallow serving plate. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Sprinkle over the remaining pistachios and mint leaves and serve.
The good news is this can sit around for a little while in the fridge if everything else is not quire ready. If it’s really hot, a few ice cubes over the top when serving are a treat.
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
