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This Melon Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Pine Nuts is a light and refreshing side dish for the hot days of summer. The tangy sweet lemon honey vinaigrette adds a zip of flavor to the cool salad.

glass platter with cantaloupe, fresh mozzarella

This melon salad is a lifesaver! It’s one of my go-to side dishes to keep my time in the kitchen to a minimum when the temperatures are soaring in the 90s.

The last thing I want to do on a scorching hot and humid day in late July is stand over the stove and cook dinner. At our house, we fire up the outdoor grill for Cider Honey Chicken Skewers or Burgers with Fresh Tomato Relish so as to keep the kitchen as cool as possible. This pretty as a picture melon salad is one of my favorite no cook side dishes to pair with any grilled entree.

the ingredients in this delicious melon salad

cantaloupe ~ honeydew or watermelon are tasty options too
fresh mozzarella
pine nuts
butter lettuce or mixed greens
basil
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
honey
Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

summer cantaloupe with fresh mozzarella and pine nuts

how to pick a ripe and delicious melon

Need some help in choosing a deliciously ripe melon? Here are a few of my tips to pick a juicy and sweet melon every time.

Pick a melon that is heavy for its size.
Make sure it does not have any soft spots, dark spots, or bruises
For cantaloupes, choose melons that have a sweet smell. Also the stem end should be slightly soft and concave.
For watermelons and honeydews, the skin should be dull and not shiny. Honeydews color should be light yellow. As for a watermelon, look for a large yellow spot on one side. That is where it rested on the ground as it ripened.
Give the melon a good thump. The melon should have a hollow sound when tapped.

You may get some odd looks as you are smelling and thumping the melons at the grocery store. But the inquiring looks are well worth it when when you pick a delicious melon.

chef tips for making melon salad

I love musky, sweet cantaloupe in this melon salad. But feel free to substitute watermelon or honeydew melon in the recipe.
Skip the packaged block of mozzarella for this recipe. It is best to use it in cooking as it melts beautifully. Use creamy fresh mozzarella with its buttery texture and delicate flavor for the melon salad. I like to ciliegine or cherry sized mozzarella. Tear them in half or bite sized pieces for a rustic look.
A tender lettuce completes the delicate flavors of the salad. Choose butter lettuce or mixed greens.
Crunchy. mild and slightly sweet pine nuts are my first choice for this salad. Be sure to toast them in a dry hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes for the most flavor. Give them a shake so they do not burn. You can also sub toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts in the melon salad too.
Add the vinaigrette just before serving. Otherwise the delicate lettuce will get wilty. Also, drizzle the vinaigrette sparingly. No one wants to eat a soggy, vinaigrette laden salad. You can always add more vinaigrette but, you can’t remove it once it’s added to the melon salad.

If you make this cool and delicious melon salad, I’d love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.