This melon salad refreshes and satisfies with its sweet minty flavor. Raw garlic and North African spices give it a different, yet delicious taste. It's great as a dessert or side dish.
5cupscubed honeydew or other sweet, tender-fleshed melon
¼cup fresh mintfinely chopped
2Tablespoonspistachiosdry roasted
Torn fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
Finely mince the garlic and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
When the garlic has finished resting, combine lime zest and juice with olive oil, honey, spices and salt inside a small jar with a tight lid. Add garlic and secure the lid on the jar.
Put the cubed melon in a medium bowl. Top with chopped mint.
Shake the dressing vigorously. Pour a generous amount over the melon and mint and toss to combine. (If your lime is very juicy, you may not need all the dressing.)
Sprinkle with pistachios and fresh mint leaves.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
Ras el hanout is thought of as an Arab spice and hails from North Africa. The blend of spices it contains are not the same in every bottle. Sometimes it has hot chile spices, but not always.Check your label to see if it lists cayenne or red chile as one of the ingredients. If so, you may want to taste it to see how much heat it packs. We prefer our food with a bit of tingle on the tongue, but you may want to leave out the red pepper flakes if your ras el hanout already contains some hot spices. 🌶Garam masala makes a good substitute for ras el hanout if you don't have it in your pantry. Another option is to make a DIY blend with 1 teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon each of ginger and coriander and ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon and cayenne (or smoked paprika).