Coffee and Crumpets

Real Food with Altitude

American Soups and Salads Vegetarian

Strawberry and Melon Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette

strawberry and melon salad

So, I’m scrambling like crazy to post some summer recipes before autumn officially rolls in. The Autumnal Equinox this year is September 22. I have a few days, I’ll cram in what I can! 

The day time weather has gone back to feeling like summer again after the rain finally went away this week. The nights however, have definitely taken on a fall feeling. I love this time of the year; changing colours, warm days and cool nights, even the air smells different. 

I was thinking why I fell behind posting seasonal summer recipes this year and then it occurred to me that Ramadan was bang in the middle of summer this year. I was busy posting holiday recipes. 

Strawberry and Melon salad

Before I embrace autumn and all its seasonal glory, here’s a bit of a fluff recipe. I always feel a bit of a fraud posting salad recipes because, let’s face it, who doesn’t know how to make a salad? (Actually, you’d be surprised the number of bad salads I’ve had, there are people who don’t know how to make a salad.)

Truthfully, the only reason I’m posting this recipe is because it was so gosh darned gorgeous! And pretty delicious too! I saw a photo of a similar salad on Food 52, and purely because of its gorgeousness did I decide to make my version.

The original salad had many things going on, but one thing, besides the vibrant colour, that caught my fancy was the harissa in the dressing. Yep, my ears perked up and my eyes were as round as plates when I saw harissa on the list.

Strawberry and Melon Salad

So, I went to work with what I had in my kitchen that day, and using my own honey Dijon vinaigrette, I added a dollop of harissa, and the salad was created; Strawberry and Melon Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette. And was it good.

Like all salad recipes, its open to improvisation. Add what you like and take out what you don’t. Keep the melon, of course! I personally, don’t like tomatoes and melons together, and so I kept my salad very simple, just strawberries and melons, with salad leaves and red onions to accompany. The slightly spicy harissa dressing was fabulous on the fruity salad. Some examples of fruit and vegetables you can add that will complement the dressing: berries, cucumbers, sprouts, watercress, green beans, butternut squash, jicama, and avocados.

I’m going to list the quantities I used, but you can eyeball just about everything. I bought a super sweet cantaloupe from my local organic farm and it was amazing, so if you source great local ingredients, you will get a stellar end product.

Strawberry and Melon Salad

Save Print
Strawberry and Melon Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette

Calories: 1478

Fat: 112g

refreshing summer salad with a spicy kick
Ingredients
  • 1 cantaloupe melon, diced or in balls with a melon baller (looks pretty)
  • 1 pound/455g punnet strawberries, sliced or whole if small
  • ½ small red onion, sliced
  • couple of handfuls of mixed salad greens
  • **You can add any other fruits or vegetables of choice, if desired**
  • Harissa vinaigrette to taste
  • HARISSA VINAIGRETTE
  • ½ cup/118mL fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup/118mL extra virgin olive oil (or more if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Harissa paste (or more if you like spicy)
Instructions
  1. HARISSA VINAIGRETTE
  2. Add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a jar and shake.
  3. Taste and adjust to your preference; you may like more olive oil, or more honey or more harissa.
  4. Store any extra in the fridge
Pretty Simple
  1. Arrange salad on a plate or a bowl, drizzle dressing over top and toss.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Strawberry and Melon Salad

 Hope you’re enjoying your week, we have started drying up here a little bit now but the hardest recovery is still to come. Please keep Colorado in your thoughts and prayers.


Comments

    • Thanks Kiran! Thank you for your kind words, I’m trying to take it easy, not always easy with 4 kids xx

    • I didn’t get to mangoes either. Just too may delicious food out there and its difficult to get to them all! Thanks Taruna.

  9. I post what I eat, and I eat so many salads! Plus you’d be amazed at how many people really don’t know how to make salads. Or other things – I was talking to someone the other day who’s a decent cook but wasn’t sure what went into a Club Sandwich! Anyway, bring on the salads! This one is terrific. I’ve used hot stuff (including harissa) in vinaigrette before – it adds such a zesty touch, doesn’t it? Good recipe – thanks.
    john@kitchenriffs recently posted..Beer BreadMy Profile

    • Thanks John! I do like a bit of a zing in my salads especially with salads with fruit. Fruit and spice were made for each other! And I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who’s had bad salads!

  16. Why not? It is gorgeous, and until very recently, I didn’t know how to make a salad either. (: hugs.

    • It’s hard when it comes to food you know how to make and stuff you want to make. Yes, curries are easy even for me but I think others want to see those even if we don’t or our families don’t. Its like when I have people for dinner, I always have to make Indian food because most of my friends are not Indian and they want that food. I want to have a go with another type of cuisine but no, I end up with Indian food!

Trackbacks

Get new posts straight to your inbox...

Still hungry?

Stuffed Musquée de Provence Pumpkin
Turkish Soujouk Stew
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Karahi Chicken II~Stir Fried Chicken with Tomatoes
White Chocolate and Pistachio Babka
Harissa Braised Lamb
Honey Roasted Peach and Goat’s Cheese Tartlets
Peach Muffins with Rosemary Streusel
Shami Kebabs
Ground Chicken Kebabs