Summer melons are one of the reasons that this is my favorite season of them all. I stock up on all varieties when I am at the store each week and honeydew melon is the one that I tend to buy less often for some reason. I am not sure why because it is actually my husband’s favorite variety of them all. I decided to whip up a new fresh and healthy summer recipe using honeydew as the star ingredient. I have always been a fan of fruit in a salad, especially when you mix a little heat in with the cool fruit because it just is a magical combo. My honeydew cucumber salad is one of those salads that you will be making on repeat all summer long because it just that delicious.
This salad is great for summer picnics, backyard BBQ’s, or just to serve up alongside your favorite protein for a healthy weeknight meal. True story, the first night I made this recipe, my husband and I ate the whole batch ourselves. It is seriously so delicious. This salad is crunchy from the cucumbers, slightly sweet from the honeydew, has a little spice from the jalapeños, and then gets topped off with a little lime juice, cilantro, and honey to make one irresistible salad. I am telling you that this is one salad that you are going to want to try as soon as possible.
Let’s talk about the substitutions. You can definitely use another melon that you love here, I think a cantaloupe or even watermelon would be equally as delicious, but I do love the look of this totally green salad if you stick to the honeydew. You can also leave out the jalapeños or use less of them if you don’t like it as spicy, but again to me, the spice is key! And lastly, if you are one of those cilantro tastes like soap kind of people, then just omit it all together.
This recipe can be made ahead of time, up to two days before you are going to serve it and it will hold up just fine. It’s just going to get more flavorful the longer it sits and the ingredients are hearty enough to keep their texture which is great. You are going to love this fresh salad for a new dinner side dish or light lunch!
Ingredients:
2 Cups Diced Honeydew Melon
2 Cups Diced Cucumber
1 Thinly Sliced Jalapeno
2 Tbsp. Chopped Cilantro
1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Honey
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
Directions:
Combine honeydew melon, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and red onion in a large bowl.
Make vinaigrette by combining lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper and whisking to combine.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.
Chill and serve. Salad will stay good for 2-3 days.
Isn’t this salad so beautiful? I love serving it up alongside a grilled piece of fish, shrimp, or chicken! It’s so good and I can’t wait for you to give this one a try!
