Melon Salad with Sesame Dressing
Melon Salad with Sesame Dressing is a fruit salad with lots of character that will liven up any dinner plate. Even melons with a bit less sweetness than I prefer are transformed in the sweet and tangy dressing. Use all or a combination of some of the melon ingredients for a zippy side dish. I’ve made it a number of times for potlucks and dinner parties. It’s a hit for a snack poolside or something that can be left on the counter for grazing through a long evening of socializing.
I’m a sucker for melons, I just love them. But, we often don’t get the best quality warm weather produce in Montana. That doesn’t seem to slow me down when I’m at the grocery store. Sometimes it’s a total bust, but if there’s enough natural flavor and it’s just not that sweet, this dressing pumps up the flavor nicely. I’m not holding my breath for honeydew, we seldom have luck with them. But we can usually find some good local cantaloupe and watermelon. So, here’s to barbecue weather and fruit salads!
Pictured here with only the cantaloupe and cucumbers and we still had more than enough for our table of 4. Add in watermelon and honeydew and expand for the size of your dinner party. I like spice with sweet so I’m heavy handed with the cayenne pepper. You can skip it altogether if you prefer and I tend to skip the cilantro since not everyone in our home likes it. But, I don’t skip the sesame seeds, I love the added pop of texture and flavor that they bring. It is a truly versatile side dish. Melon Salad with Sesame Dressing is no fuss, just good food.
Melon Salad with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp sesame seeds toasted
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups cut up seedless watermelon
- 2 cups cut up honeydew
- 1 cup sliced seedless cucumber
- Lettuce leaves for serving
- Snipped cilantro optional garnish
Instructions
For sweet sesame dressing
- In a small saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, salt and ginger. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Transfer to medium bowl. In a thin, steady stream slowly add vegetable and olive oil to sugar mixture, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in sesame seeds, sesame oil and cayenne pepper; set aside.
Assembling the salad
- Line salad bowls or platter with lettuce; top with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and cucumber. Drizzle with some of the dressing (about ½ cup). Sprinkle w/ cilantro and bacon. Pass remaining dressing when serving.
