Serve this eye-catching Melon Checkerboard Salad at your next summer gathering – it’s refreshing, colorful, and delicious! You can mix and match your favorite melons, such as honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, and more. Drizzled with a spicy balsamic glaze, this salad is sweet and just a little bit tangy!
My 10 Years of Blogging Dinner Party was by far my favorite of the Dinner Stories series. The menu was completely vegan, in honor of this blog’s origins, yet the most flavorful out of all the parties. I’ve been posting some of the recipes from the party, including these Mango Dragonfruit Trifles. And, of course, I used my Strawberry Salsa recipe as well!
So now we’re on to the Melon Checkerboard Salad. Is there anything better than fresh melon in the summer? It’s such a delicious, refreshing fruit, and I can’t get enough of it. Cantaloupe has always been my favorite, but I love all forms of melon, in all forms! For example, my favorite drink at Disney World is the Cantaloopy in China (in EPCOT)! I’ll also never pass up the opportunity to get a melon bubble tea!
This Melon Checkerboard Salad is a salad for melon lovers. I actually used 6 different types of this – Santa Claus melon, green honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, sunshine melon, and a golden honeydew. I’m lucky that my local Whole Foods has a bunch of niche melons, but you can really use whatever you like for this recipe! Enjoy!
For more delicious summer salads, try my Heirloom Tomato Caesar Salad, this Creamy Cucumber Salad, this Spicy Chickpea Salad, or this Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad!
Melon Checkerboard Salad
Ingredients
Spicy Balsamic Glaze
- 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes or Aleppo Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
Melon Salad
- 2 Cups Cubed Cantaloupe
- 2 Cups Cubed Watermelon
- 2 Cups Cubed Honeydew
- 2 Cups Cubed Santa Claus Melon see notes
- 1/4 Tsp Maldon Salt see notes
Instructions
Spicy Balsamic Glaze
- First, make the balsamic glaze. Add all glaze ingredients to a small saucepot, and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once it's boiling, reduce to a simmer and let it cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes. Once the glaze has a thicker consistency, closer to a thin syrup, take it off the heat. Set it aside and let it cool while you're cutting up the melon.
Melon Checkerboard Salad
- Now, chop up all your melon. Wash and dry the melons, them cut them in half. Using a spoon, scoop out all the gooey seeds and stuff in the center and discard.
- Then, remove the skin from the melon. You can either do that while they're still as halves, or you can cut them into slices and carefully remove the skins with a knife.
- Then, cut up your melon into cubes that are about 1" in size. There's no right or wrong way to do it, just do the best you can! Because melons have a curved shape, you'll have a lot of odd-shaped pieces left over from making your cubes. You can eat them as is, or put them in the freezer to use for smoothies (my personal favorite!).
Putting It All Together
- On a large, flat tray, arrange your melon in a checkerboard pattern. Try to split up the colors so that they're contrasting.
- Then, sprinkle on a dusting of Maldon salt, if desired. If you don't have Maldon salt, regular sea salt will be fine! Try using pink Himalayan salt for a similar crunch as Maldon.
- Then, drizzle on the balsamic glaze, as much or as little or you like.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- I listed the prep time as 30 minutes because it can be a little time-consuming to cut up all the melon, but it may take a little longer or a little shorter!
- I put quanities for the melon for reference, but you may use more or less than the amounts I provided.
- If you can’t find Santa Claus Melon, sub for any other melon you like!
- I love Aleppo pepper, but it’s not commonly found, so regular red pepper flakes will be just fine!
- You’ll likely have some balsamic glaze left over, it can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days! Try it on grain bowls, caprese salads, or pizzas!
Nutrition
Melon Checkerboard Salad FAQs
How long will this Melon Checkerboard Salad last?
Melon is always better served fresh, because of its high water content. However, this salad can be made 1 day in advance. The balsamic glaze will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
What is a checkerboard salad?
A checkerboard salad is a salad styled with cubes of fruits or vegetables arranged in a checkerboard pattern. In salad, we use melon for the pattern! But you can also add in cucumbers, carrots, blocks of feta, or pineapple!
Is this Melon Checkerboard Salad made with balsamic vinegar?
Yes! We have a spicy balsamic glaze drizzled over the melon to balance the sweetness. Of course, you can make it without spice, but using the spicy peppers really takes it up a notch.
What is the difference between a checkerboard salad and a tetris salad, or a mosaic salad?
They’re all just different names for the same thing!
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes, dinner parties, and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
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