Melon is a refreshing fruit that is rich in vitamins and nutrients beneficial for health. Besides desserts, today TasteVN would like to share with you 3 ways to make refreshing, nutritious melon salads that are good for health. Let’s cook and immediately prepare these 3 mixed salads for the whole family to enjoy!
1. 3-color melon salad
Preparation time
1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for 3-color melon salad Serves 4
Watermelon 300 gr (1/2 fruit) Yellow melon 300 gr (1/2 fruit) Green pear melon 300 gr (1/2 fruit) Lemon juice 3 tablespoons Honey 3 tablespoons Mint leaves 31 gr (mint) Ground vanilla 3 gr Salt 1/2 teaspoon Mint leaves 31 gr (mint)
How to choose fresh ingredients:
How to choose fresh watermelon
- You should choose a fresh watermelon, with a dark green skin, smooth and intact skin without cracks.
- You can tap on the watermelon with your finger to hear a crisp “thud” sound, and observe that the stem part of the watermelon is slightly withered, if it sticks to the top of the fruit, the watermelon is sweet.
- Observe the bottom of the watermelon; you should choose those with a creamy yellow bottom, the darker, more indented, and deeper the color, the sweeter the watermelon.
See more: How to choose good, sweet watermelon
How to choose delicious green melon
- Choose melons that feel firm in hand, with small, fresh green stems, and a hard outer skin that is not soft, as these are freshly picked.
- Sweet and crispy melons usually have round and full scars; the larger the round scar, the sweeter and tastier the melon will be.
- Conversely, avoid melons with dark, blackened, or even broken and dropped stems as these are old. It is best to select those with a yellow-green color; the ones in the middle that are green usually have the highest sweetness and ripeness.
How to prepare 3-color melon salad
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Prepare the fruits
Watermelon, yellow melon, and green melon should be washed clean with water to remove dirt on the skin. Cut them in half using a knife.
Then use a spoon or ice cream scoop to scoop these fruits into round balls and place them in a bowl.
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Make the dressing
Place a pot on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of honey, 31g of mint leaves, 3g of crushed vanilla beans, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and simmer on low heat until the ingredients are completely dissolved, then turn off the heat.
Tip:
- You should only heat until the ingredients are completely dissolved; the dressing mixture should be warm, not boiling, because boiling can denature the enzymes in the honey and lead to a loss of nutrients.
- Moreover, boiling can also make the lemon juice bitter, and the dressing will no longer taste good.
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Mix the salad
Add watermelon, yellow melon, and green pear melon into a large bowl, drizzle the prepared dressing over and sprinkle chopped mint leaves on top, mix well, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.
Tip: It is recommended to refrigerate the salad for about 1 hour before serving, which helps the salad absorb the flavors evenly and enhances the taste.
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Final Product
Enjoy the three-color melon salad with honey lemon dressing, featuring a sweet and sour sauce, fragrant vanilla, and mint leaves, along with crunchy and sweet fruits, which not only provide nutrition but also add variety to the meal.
2. Black Raspberry Melon Salad
Preparation
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Black Raspberry Melon Salad Serves 4
Black raspberries 250 gr (blackberries) Melon 1/2 fruit Sugar 1 tablespoon Grated ginger 1 teaspoon Grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Mint 20 gr (mint)
How to Choose Good Black Raspberries
- For black raspberries, you should prioritize selecting freshly harvested ones with shiny skins, uniformly large fruits that look juicy, a deep purple-black color, and not soft or mushy.
- If buying raspberries at a supermarket, you should choose the ones with the latest expiration date and prefer those with clear origins.
How to make Melon Raspberry Salad
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Prepare the melon
Use a spoon or knife to scoop out the flesh of the melon.
Cut the melon into small pieces (as shown) then peel and cut into small square pieces for eating.
Raspberries should be washed with cold water to remove any dirt, then drained.
Mint leaves should be checked for any that are rotten or wilted (if any), then washed clean, drained, and chopped finely.
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Mix the fruit sugar
Add the prepared melon and raspberries into a bowl. Then add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into the bowl, mix well, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Tip: To make the dish cooler and more delicious, you can marinate the melon and raspberries in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
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Mix salad
The mixture of melon and raspberry after being marinated for about 30 minutes, you add the finely chopped mint and mix well.
Serve the salad on a plate, decorate it nicely to complete.
Tip: If you don’t have time to mix the salad immediately, you should store the mixture of melon and raspberry in the refrigerator’s cool compartment, to prevent these fruits from releasing juice and fermenting, affecting the quality of the dish.
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Final Product
With just a few simple steps, you can have a plate of melon salad with black raspberries drizzled with a tangy sweet and sour dressing, visually stunning and extremely attractive.
3. Melon Spinach Salad
Preparation
1 hour
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Melon Spinach Salad For 4 people
Orange juice 100 ml Vinegar 1.5 tablespoons Honey 1 teaspoon Olive oil 1/2 tablespoon Salt 1/8 teaspoon Ground pepper 1/8 teaspoon Melon 400 gr Spinach 250 gr Alfalfa sprouts 125 gr (can be replaced with radish sprouts) Cotija cheese 42 gr Shelled pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons
What are alfalfa sprouts?
- Alfalfa sprouts are known as the king of herbs, originating from Central Asia and have only recently been introduced to Vietnam.
- The nutritional content found in alfalfa is abundant, including amino acids, vitamins, especially vitamins A, B, D, E, and minerals such as Ca, Fe, Mg, P, Cl, Na, K, especially Si and Mn,…
- This herb is considered a miracle remedy that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, detoxifies, purifies the blood, lowers blood pressure, balances hormones, and improves immune function,…
- You can find alfalfa sprouts at supermarkets and large grocery stores.
How to choose fresh spinach
- Choose bunches of green, fresh spinach with intact roots.
- Avoid selecting spinach with broken, bruised, or spoiled stems and leaves.
- Choose spinach with bright green leaves, not too dark, as it indicates young spinach that contains many nutrients.
How to make melon spinach salad
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Make the dressing
In a bowl, add 100ml of orange juice, 1.5 tablespoons of vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper, then stir well until the ingredients are completely dissolved.
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Prepare the melon and spinach
Wash the melon thoroughly to remove dirt, then peel it with a knife and cut it into small bite-sized cubes.
Remove the stems from the spinach and pick out any wilted or worm-eaten leaves, then rinse them with clean water.
Rinse the alfalfa sprouts with water and let them drain.
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Mix the salad
Add the melon, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, and pumpkin seeds into a bowl and toss them together.
Then sprinkle Cotija cheese on top and drizzle the dressing over everything, tossing well to coat all the ingredients evenly with the dressing.
Arrange the salad on a plate, garnish it to make it visually appealing, and you’re done.
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Final Product
Melon spinach salad with creamy Cotija cheese, balanced by sweet and refreshing fruit pieces, with a perfectly tangy-sweet dressing. What are you waiting for? Hurry to the kitchen and make this dish for the whole family to enjoy.
Successful implementation tips:
- After mixing the salad, you should let it sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour so that the fruits become fresher and crisper.
- If not consumed entirely, it should be stored in the cold for a maximum of 1 – 2 days, avoiding leaving it at room temperature for too long as it will cause the fruits to release water and ferment, making it unpalatable.
How to choose a good cantaloupe:
- Outer skin: has clearly raised veins, green in color. Avoid choosing fruits with veins that are turning brown or have chips.
- Weight: if you choose fruits that you want to store for a few days, select those that are slightly heavier; if buying to enjoy immediately, choose fruits that are of moderate weight or slightly lighter.
- Fragrance: a good cantaloupe will have a light, faint smell, reminiscent of watermelon. If it has an unpleasant odor, do not buy those fruits.
- Sound: hold the cantaloupe close to your ear and shake it lightly. If you hear a slight sound inside, it means the cantaloupe is ripe, and when eaten, it will be crisp and sweet.
See more:
With the information above, TasteVN has guided you on how to make 3 ways to make melon salad that are refreshing, subtly sweet, nutritious, good for health, and easy to prepare! Wishing you to create many delicious dishes for your family!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel Everyday Food, wholefully, and El Mejor Nido
