Tuscan Melon Salad

Tuscan Melon Salad is a refreshing combination of thinly sliced sweet canteloupe or Tuscan Melon, crisp green leaf lettuce, salty pecorino cheese, and crunchy pistachios.  This healthy Italian summer salad is inspired by my trip to a Tuscany farm. 

Tuscan Melon Salad Recipe

My Tuscan Melon Salad is bright, vibrant, unique and so flavorful.  This Italian-inspired salad features crisp salad greens, crunchy pistachios, rich pecorino cheese, and the most adorable thinly sliced and rolled Tuscan Melon or canteloupe.   They look like pretty roses on your plate.

Many years ago I went on an epic trip to Italy which included a stay in Tuscany.  Italian food is about so much more than pasta.  Italians, especially in Tuscany, eat fresh seasonal ingredients.  When we were in Tuscany we stayed in an ancient farmhouse called the Villa di Piazzano, which had been renovated into a charming boutique hotel.

This is Tuscan Melon Salad is my rendition of a salad they served us our first night there.  The plate was a special dish for the evening - featuring Tuscan Melon - and it's one of those dishes that left us awing over the textures and flavors.

This Italian salad unique blend of crisp and fresh salad greens, thinly sliced sweet melon (Tuscan Melon or canteloupe,) pungent pecorino cheese, and nutty pistachios.  The flavors pop on the plate and you'll love how these simple ingredients really shine.   This salad has the WOW factor and its one you will come back to make again and again.

What is a Tuscan Melon?

Tuscan Melon is a special variety of canteloupe that is golden in color and has a rough netted exterior with a thin rind.  The fruit or flesh itself is very similar to traditional canteloupe but Tuscan Melons have a softer texture, rich cantaloupe flavor, and are exceptionally sweet.  There is also a small seed cavity.  The melon is a hybrid variety created from Italian melons and melons from Switzerland.  It can also go by the name Bella Tuscana or Tuscan-Style.  It's often grown for the US in California or Arizona.

If you happen to find a Tuscan Melon in the store, the rich flavor is a perfect fit for this Tuscan-inspired salad, but don't let finding one shy away from trying this recipe.  Any canteloupe the store carries will also work.

All cantaloupes including the Tuscan Melon are a great source of antioxidants, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Why You'll Love this Tuscan Melon Salad...

• This Tuscan Melon Salad is gorgeous, unique, and tasty!
• It comes together in less than 15 minutes.
• It's pretty enough for a dinner party, but simple enough to assemble for a weekday dinner.  Serve it as an appetizer.
• It features fresh, vibrant flavors.
• It's healthy!

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make my Tuscan Melon Salad, keep scrolling for the full printable recipe.

For the Salad:

• Tuscan Melon: If you can find the extra sweet cantaloupes including the Tuscan Melon, use it for this salad but any variety of cantaloupes you can find will work.  Tuscan Melons are sweeter, more tender, and have a brilliant orange color.   Use a melon that's at peak ripeness but not so tender it will not cut.
• Lettuce: I used crisp romaine lettuce for these photos, but you can make this salad with any type of fresh crisp lettuce greens including green leaf lettuce or butter lettuce.  Since this recipe is very simple, the fresher the garden greens the better! When we were in Italy, they pulled the greens for the salad right out of their garden.
• Pistachios: Shelled pistachios provide the perfect rich flavor and crunch for the salad.  I like to use the already salted and shelled ones.  I find them for a good deal at ALDI or Trader Joe's.
• Pecorino Cheese: The original salad I had in Tuscany featured the aged Pecorino cheese the region is famous for.  Use a small amount of shredded cheese for lots of flavors.  If you can't find Pecorino any hard Italian cheese or cheese blend will work including Parmesan.

For the Dressing:

• Olive Oil: Use the highest quality Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil you can afford.  The salad really needs nice ingredients to get the full effect.  I like this one.
• White Wine Vinegar: Same thing with the White Wine Vinegar.  Use a nice one like this one.
• Lemon: Just a squeeze of fresh lemon adds some natural brightness to this dish.
• Salt & Pepper: I like to use fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.

Instructions:

Here's how to make my Tuscan Melon Salad, but keep scrolling for the easy-to-follow printable recipe.

1. Prepare the Tuscan Melon or cantaloupe by cutting it and removing the seeds. Cut it into a large wedge, as shown below. Either using a sharp knife or mandolin cutter, thinly slice the melon into half-moon slivers. Carefully roll up the thin melon slices.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing including the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon, salt, and pepper.
3. Put the lettuce in the bowl and then toss the lettuce lightly in the dressing.
4. Divide the lettuce into four small salad plates.
5. Carefully put the melon circles on top of the lettuce.
6. Top the Pecorino cheese and pistachios. Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper to the top.
7. Serve and enjoy immediately. Buon appetito.

Variations:

I love this Tuscan Melon Salad as written, but here are some great variations.

• Make it Meaty: Make this a fancy Melon Prosciutto Salad by adding prosciutto on top.
• Make it Easy: Use a pre-mixed dressing like my Zesty Italian Dressing or Red Wine Vinaigrette.
• Make it Richer: Add a drizzle of Balsamic Glaze on top.
• Make it Cubed: The fun melon flowers are cool to make, but in a time pinch you can just make melon cubes.
• Mix up the Nuts:  Can't find pistachios?  Sub pine nuts, almonds, or pecans.
• Make it Herby:  Add some fresh mint or basil on top.

FAQ:

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

This isn't a great salad to make ahead of time because the greens will wilt.  You can do much of the prep work ahead of time including mixing the dressing, chopping the lettuce, and shaving the Tuscan Melon.  When you are ready to assemble the salad, you will have everything ready.

How do you store leftovers?

Once you put the dressing on the lettuce, you'll need to eat it within the hour.  Leftovers without dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up only two days.

Can I make this for a crowd?

Yes!  If I was making this for a crowd I'd at least triple the recipe and make it in a big bowl.  Instead of making the Tuscan Melon slivers, I'd cube the melon and mix it throughout the greens.  It will taste just as good but be easier for assembly.

This Tuscan Melon Salad is Inspired by Italy!

This Tuscan Melon Salad may not obviously be Italian, but the fresh ingredients, put together with love, really speak about the Italian culture to eat well and linger over your meal.  You have to have a little patience with the assembly process here, but talk about a wow factor when you serve this!  This salad is a stunner in terms of taste and presentation.  Move over boring fruit salads, there is a new recipe in town.

Plus, you have to love a dish that lets those amazing delicious, Tuscan Melons shine.

Serve it With:

• Pesto Salmon
• Easy Oven Baked Salmon
• Healthy Crab Cakes
• Blackened Mahi Mahi
• Lemon Pepper Tilapia
• 3-Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

More Healthy Salad Recipes with Fruit to Try:

• Pear & Arugula Salad
• Avocado Caprese Salad
• Strawberry Caprese Salad
• Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
• Watermelon Arugula Salad
• Grilled Peach Caprese

If you make this Tuscan Melon Salad recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Tuscan Melon Recipe

Julie Wunder

Tuscan Melon Salad is a refreshing combination of thinly sliced sweet canteloupe or Tuscan Melon, crisp green leaf lettuce, salty pecorino cheese, and crunchy pistachios.  This healthy Italian summer salad is inspired by my trip to a Tuscany farm. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

Calories 249 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Salad:

• 4 cups green leaf lettuce, chopped
• ¼ Tuscan Melon or cantaloupe
• ½ cup pistachios, shelled
• 4 ounces Pecorino cheese , shaved

For the Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ½ lemon, juiced
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Prepare the Tuscan Melon or cantaloupe by cutting it and removing the seeds. Cut it into a large wedge, like shown. Either using a sharp knife or mandolin cutter, thinly slice the melon into half moon slivers. Carefully roll up the thin melon slices.
  
• In a large bowl whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing including the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper.
• Put the lettuce in the bowl and then toss the lettuce lightly in the dressing.
• Divide the lettuce on four small salad plates.
• Carefully put the melon circles on top of the lettuce.
• Top the Pecorino cheese and pistachios. Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper to the top.
• Serve and enjoy immediately. Buon appetito.

Notes

Serve immediately because the salad greens will get soggy once prepped.  Leftovers will not store well.

You can prepare all the ingredients ahead of time, including mixing the dressing and cutting the Tuscan melon.  Just freshly toss the greens when it's time to eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 13gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 361mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4017IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 338mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Tuscan Melon, Tuscan Melon Salad

Tried this recipe?Mention @Julie_Wunder or tag #RunninginaSkirt!

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