Stay cool and hydrated with this delicious and simple coriander cucumber-melon salad. A combination of crisp cucumber, fresh coriander, grapes and a juicy honeydew melon pairs great with beef or any other meat. It can make a refreshing side dish or a light meal.
A cool and refreshing fruity salad can be so delicious. The secret is to use good and ripe fruits. This coriander cucumber-melon salad is different from an ordinary salad, but delicious to eat and gorgeous to look at. Cilantro adds a bright flavour. But you can swap it with parsley as well. More, it is tossed in a simple lime, olive oil dressing with a lovely sweet-tangy note.
Ready in less than 10 minutes, it is perfect for a midweek dinner, a lunch to go or as a small healthy snack. Since it keeps well in the fridge, you can prepare it a couple of hours in advance.
Cucumber and melon go so great together. Both are refreshing, crispy, juicy and are the perfect choice during the summer season. They have a high water content; cucumber with 96% and honeydew melon with 90%.
The honeydew melon is a summer gem. I love to use melons in different recipes. They are just perfect for summertime. For instance, a simple watermelon carpaccio, a lovely Greek watermelon Feta salad, unusual prosciutto-melon spaghetti, a delicious Cantaloupe melon arugula salad and grilled watermelon-pineapple skewers.
Honeydew melon is a real delight. You can recognise it by the greenish to yellow skin, sometimes with a net pattern. On the inside, it has a bright green with an electric green undertone flesh. It can be found in all supermarkets. In fact, honeydew melon is one of the most common melons along with watermelon and Cantaloupe melon.
It is always a good idea to use fruits in your salad. Not only do they taste good but they add a different texture and health benefits. Honeydew melon is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B and electrolytes, such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium.
A quick tip, I suggest refrigerating the melon and cucumber before slicing and serving. It tastes always better when cold.
Ingredients for two portions of coriander cucumber-melon salad with beef:
- half a cucumber (diced)
- 1/3 of honeydew melon (diced)
- fresh coriander
- 1 lime
- 15-20 white grape berries
- 320 g beef minute steaks
- olive oil
- salt
To begin, wash and dice the cucumber. Then, cut, deseed and dice the honeydew melon into equally small cubes as the cucumber. Place both in a salad bowl.
Furthermore, wash and chop the fresh coriander and add it to the salad bowl together with the washed grapes. More, sprinkle with salt, squeeze half (or whole) lime on top and drizzle with some olive oil. Gently toss to combine. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Next, drizzle some olive oil in a non-sticking pan. After the oil gets hot, add the beef minute steaks and brown them for 3-5 minutes (depending on how rare or well done you like them) on each side. Then, remove the steaks from the pan, sprinkle them with some salt and let them rest for a minute.
Meanwhile, divide the coriander cucumber-melon salad between the plates. Cut the steaks into strips and lay them on top of the salad. Sprinkle with some more lime.
Enjoy.
