Description
Refreshing summer bliss emerges through this melon and mozzarella salad, highlighting Mediterranean flavor profiles. Crisp melon slices pair beautifully with creamy mozzarella, delivering a simple yet elegant dish you’ll crave all season long.
Ingredients
Scale
- 250 g (8.8 oz) buffalo mozzarella (ovoline)
- 1 melon
- 2 nectarines
- 2 mini cucumbers (or 1 regular cucumber)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)
- 2 pinches of Espelette chili pepper fleur de sel (or regular fleur de sel)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh mint (or fresh basil)
Instructions
- Melon Preparation: Halve the cantaloupe or honeydew melon, remove seeds, and create melon balls using a Parisian scoop.
- Cucumber and Nectarine Technique: Slice cucumber into thin ribbons or rounds with a mandoline, and cut nectarines into elegant wedges.
- Vinaigrette Creation: Whisk extra virgin olive oil and vinegar until smoothly emulsified, ensuring a balanced and cohesive dressing.
- Salad Assembly: Layer cucumber ribbons as a foundation, then strategically arrange nectarine slices and scattered melon balls for visual appeal.
- Cheese and Seasoning: Tear mozzarella into rustic chunks, distributing across the salad, then season with cracked black pepper and fleur de sel.
- Final Flourish: Gently drizzle prepared vinaigrette over the composed salad, allowing the dressing to weave between ingredients, and garnish with fresh mint leaves for an aromatic finish.
Notes
- Melon Ball Mastery: Use a chilled Parisian scoop for perfectly round, uniform melon spheres that enhance the salad’s visual appeal and texture.
- Cucumber Cutting Technique: Mandoline slicers create paper-thin, translucent ribbons that add an elegant, delicate layer to the salad’s presentation.
- Vinaigrette Vital Tips: Whisk oil and vinegar thoroughly to create a smooth emulsion that coats ingredients evenly without pooling at the bottom.
- Fresh Herb Finishing: Tear mint leaves just before serving to release maximum aromatic oils and preserve their vibrant green color and fresh flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg