The cicadas are singing and summer fruits are heavy with sweetness. It is my favorite time of year! And while I might not be wanting to fire up the kitchen in the evenings, summer fruits and veggies pack enough yum that fresh and easy no-cook options are literally begging to be whipped up and served with a flair that says you don’t have to break a sweat to eat this fabulous. Fabulous, you say? How fabulous does a melon salad chock full of honeydews, watermelon, feta, and walnuts rounded out with some delectable rotisserie-style chicken and a lemon garlic vinaigrette sound?
A little sweet, a little savory, a little too good to be true? You bet your favorite flip flops! It’s just that darn good. And the best part? You can throw it together in less than 30 minutes and have a dinner on the table that everyone will be asking for again and again.
What You’ll Need To Make This Melon Salad:
- Honeydew Melon
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Walnuts
- Feta cheese
- Rotisserie chicken
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Powdered Parmesan Cheese
- Sugar
- Salt and pepper
Maybe you feel like you are all fresh fruit and veggied out. I hope not. But sometimes we have to ask, “How many salads can a girl eat?” So I get it. But let’s be fair. For starters, one peek at this family-style layered salad let’s you know that it isn’t your regular lettuce and tomato dance. The chicken and walnuts bring plenty of protein to the table. And their savory, salty goodness teams up with the feta (goat cheese is good too!) to balance the sweetness of the melons. Toss it all with peppery arugula and baby spinach and… well, I haven’t even gotten to the vinaigrette yet.
The vinaigrette for this eye-popping melon salad is also savory. A light lemon garlic number, just a drizzle is all you need to pull this supper together.
The vinaigrette is so simple to make, and I’ve shared the recipe with you below. I simply added my ingredients to a shake and pour salad dressing emulsifier. Shook it for about 30 seconds and was ready to go. It was so easy, I made it right on my patio. Speaking of, since we are still getting settled in from moving and the kitchen renovation is in full swing, this whole salad was put together on the patio. It’s just that simple! The Rotisserie chicken? I picked it up at the deli of my local supermarket. This really is a 30 minute or less meal!
To wrap this up, let’s talk a minute about the different ways to put a salad like this together. Tossing it in a bowl is absolutely delicious, but sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit. You might even entice picky eaters to try something new just by giving a salad a different look. This melon salad looks fetching laid out on a platter because it really plays up the color.
If you want to do this, just lay out each ingredient grouped together in a row on a bed of greens. Grouping colors like this allows for maximum color impact and really amps up the presentation. But on a practical note, it lets family and friends choose the ingredients they like best to build their salad!
Fresh fruits and vegetables offer quick, seasonal deliciousness that can be enjoyed by you and your family on the patio or around the table. The combinations are absolutely endless. And why shouldn’t we slow down and enjoy the bounty this season has to offer? This kind of wonderfulness only comes around once a year!
A savory vinaigrette filled with lemon, garlic and just a hint of Parmesan cheese.
- 1/2 C Olive Oil extra vigin
- 1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 small Lemon juiced
- 1 Tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese powdered
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
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Add all ingredients into a food processor and emulsify. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately and dressing settles and separates, simply shake before serving.
Helpful Gadgets To Make This Dressing & Salad
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I love the combination of flavors for y our delicious Melon Salad. The vinaigrette looks amazing! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen