Melon Ball Salad with Minty-Lime Dressing | Healthy Dessert Recipe
A zesty and bright fruit salad featuring watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe all tossed in a minty-lime dressing. Would make a beautiful addition to any brunch or breakfast menu.
This simple, beautiful and invigorating salad is bursting with flavor. The sweetness of the melon in conjunction with the tangy, yet refreshing, minty-lime dressing might have your tastebuds fooled you are delighting in a bowl of sherbet. Only this is the healthiest bowl of sherbet you've ever indulged in. Perfect for showers, kids parties and any human being on the hunt for the perfect summer snack.
How to Pick a Ripe Melon:
In my opinion, melon is just not worth eating if isn't perfectly ripe. So here are some tips to help you scavenge out the best of the best this summer. I have found the best way to pick both Honeydew and Cantaloupe is by smell. If it is not fragrant, it is likely, not ripe. Also, these melons should feel heavy for their size. When picking watermelon, according to my very knowledgable, horticulturist mother-in-law, you should look for a white patch somewhere along those instrinsic green stripes. This patch indicates the melon has had enough time to sit and ripen.
How to Cut Melon:
Turn the melon upside down, so that it is resting where it's stem once was. Cut in half, and using a soup spoon, scrape out the seeds, if any. If you are not using a melon baller, from this point you would begin cutting each half in half, and continue doing so until you have a total of 8 slices. Using a paring knife, cut along the rind, gently moving the blade back and forth, and carefully applying a bit of pressure to the melon slice with your other hand in order to straighten it out a bit. Once the rind is removed, begin cutting the melon into bite-sized pieces.
1 chilled cantaloupe, halved and seeded
1 chilled honeydew, halved and seeded
1 chilled, small seedless watermelon, halved
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of honey
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
4 teaspoons freshly minced mint leaves
Using a melon baller, scoop out the flesh of each melon and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Alternatively, cut the melon into bite-sized pieces.
To make the dressing, combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until homogenous.
Pour dressing over melon, toss and serve.
Serves 8-10.
Would pair well with:
Dry White Wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
Cantaloupe & Prosciutto with Honey-Basil Dressing
