A perfectly healthy treat to beat the heat. Ready in just 15 minutes, this salad is always going to be a hit, be it with the kids, at a party ,as a side or snack. Tantalize your taste buds with an optional tangy and minty dressing. Raw + Vegan + Gluten Free + No Sugar Added + Oil Free
Before I dive into the salad, let me give you a little perspective of how this salad came to be.
Last week Dr. Mystery left for some work travel. So it was just Little A and myself over the weekend. Let me be honest here it was a pretty gloomy weekend here in NC. It's suppose to be spring but sometimes it feels like winter and I literally had to pullout a couple full sleeves from the winter pile. It was windy and raining and pretty dull to be honest. It was just one of those weekends where all his friends were either busy or he didn't want to be a part of what they were playing. One of the evenings we went for a movie night at my sister's house and that was fun. Obviously the next day with just the two of us we had to keep eachother entertained. We were done playing with Legos (read several times), we are done with coloring and drawing, we read books for a while, puzzels etc. I offered to take him to a couple indoor museums but I guess it was just one of those weekends that we wanted to be home.
So now I had to come up with something that would keep him busy for a while I thought of engaging him with me in the kitchen. Just that morning I bought his favorite fruits- melons. So we decided to make a melon salad. To make our salad more interesting I decided to use the Mellon Baller . Oh boy!!!Apart from the mess it sure was a fun activity, I have uploaded the video below. It was such a great way to help him build his small muscles which will surely come handy next year when he goes to Kindergarten. Initially it was a bit of a struggle for him, but eventually he figured how to school the melon balls perfectly. The best part was we had three different melons with three different colors so that was a big thrill for him. Although the melon balls were not perfectly shaped, he was very happy that I he was a part of something and that I used those balls in the salad for this post. Yes not all the melon balls are perfectly round there I just placed them such that I could take some beautiful pictures and make it look perfect for him. It also turned out to be a big hit with our friends who make an impromptu visit to us and my girlfriend is an expecting mom so she is very careful about what she eats. For Little A, he was kicked about the fact that the melon balls look so good and he did such an amazing job with it. For me, I added a little dressing to my salad as I like it tangy and sweet.
Although recently the weather had been acting up. One day we wake up to cold chilly mornings, the other days we wait for the sun to go down so we can go strawberry picking. Some days I pick up Little A from school with his jacket while others days we are shopping shorts for the warm weather. It's been pretty crazy weather, but I am sure this would be a great salad for anytime. This would make a perfect activity to develop motor skills, or hydrate yourself during those warm summer days. Serve it as a side at a party, so just treat yourself to a fancy looking salad. Who says, salads have to be boring right? Afterall May is National Salad month. On that note make sure you are tuned in to our Facebook Page too, this month we will be sharing salad recipes almost every day. Salads that are not boring, but healthy and actually doable. So if you are not following us already, follow us now on Facebook here. If you would like to explore more Salads from thew blog, click here.
If you like this idea or recipe, don't forget to share it with your friends and family.
Melon Ball Salad with Lemon Mint Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 Watermelon
- 1/2 Cantaloupe
- 1/2 Honeydew
- 1/2 cup Blueberries
- 8 - 10 Mint Leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Salt / Kala Namak
- Chaat Masala (optional)
- 1 Lemon
Tools
Instructions
Scoop out the ball from the melons using a [Melon Baller|http://amzn.to/2qW0EQZ]
!To Serve
Scrape off the trimmings from the melon that you would like to serve in. Add in the Blueberries You could also serve the salad in lemon cups or orange cups. Please do not throw the trimmings away, the can be used ins smoothies or juices. I often use the watermelon skin to make sabzi, so stay tuned I will share that next.
Feel free to serve it in a regular bowl too.
For best results refrigerate before serving.
!To Granish
If you like to enjoy the salad as is (most kids will prefer this) just garnish the bowl with mint leaves
If you would like to use a dressing, squeeze a fresh lemon on it and add finely chopped mint leaves.
If you would like to add chaat masala of Himalaya salt, just sprinkle on top of the bowl.
Dene' Vicole Alexander says
This is a lovely presentation of melon ball salad! I can only imagine the flavors that are imparted with this lemon mint dressing! I'll take a bowl full, please!!
Vidya Srinivasan says
Giving fruits to my son is a big deal this is a nice idea. I am sure he cant say no If I am giving like this.
priyasrinivasan says
Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! I too love to scoop my melons with melon baller. It is so much fun and kids totally love it this way!
Marisa Franca Stewart says
What a beautiful fruit bowl and so simple too. Love the idea of having kids help in the kitchen -- that's how they learn. My sons are excellent cooks as well as my daughter. I haven't used my melon baller in years. I should dust it off and get going. My mouth is watering looking at your fruit.
Swanky Recipes says
Totally loving how easy this recipe is to make. I wish I had thought to make this for Mother's Day brunch this morning. This will be perfect for our family vacation to the beach in a few weeks, yum - Jessica
Uma Srinivas says
These looks beautiful with different color. And I loved your idea and the presentation is really wow! I am keep looking at your pictures. Thanks for tips.
valmg says
That looks terrific, I love all of the colors! I only see one problem, I love watermelon so it probably wouldn't make it into the salad.
Swathi Iyer says
Delicious salad, I wished to try any time of the day drizzle with honey and lemon juice good for summer day also kid friendly too.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
That is one gadget that is still missing in my kitchen. I am now convinced that I need a melon baller. That salad looks great and I have two boys who could use a little bit of muscle building project.
Adriana Martin says
Very nice option I love melon in any form so this is an option I would serve my family yummy!
Amanda Kanashiro says
This is perfect for summer. It is cool, refreshing and delicious. It is one of those incredible salads that is perfect for any time of day.
Marlynn [UrbanBlissLife] says
What a perfect refreshing salad for hot summer days! It's so great for any time of day or night, and I love the lemon mint dressing you have with it.
Manila Spoon says
This Lemon Ball Salad looks like the perfect antidote to the summer heat! I can imagine instant refreshment upon eating this!
Veena Azmanov says
My kids are always fascinated with the melon balls..! Makes it so much more fun.. Perfect summer treat..
Homemade & Yummy says
This is a great summer salad. Perfect for brunch, lunch or even an after school snack. Cool, refreshing and delicious.
Kimanis Ome says
This is great!! I love how cutting up melon into different sizes makes it so much more fun to eat.
Chitownchica says
This is perfect for a party! I love fruit dishes but I find that fewer and fewer parties I attend serve fruit. Definitely going to try this.
Tiara Wilson says
Oh wow. This looks absolutely delicious. I love melons, all shapes, sizes and flavors ;)
Jennifer Hamra says
I love fruit salads! Your melon ball salad recipe looks delicious! The lemon mint would make an excellent touch to the salad.
Nati says
this is a wonderful fresh and low-calory snack or desert! I love melon :)
Courtney Louise says
This looks so delicious! It almost looks too good to eat :)
Kyla R. Thompson says
What a cute idea! I am definitely trying this soon. :)