My favorite summer fruit is watermelon, no contest. I remember being a kid and getting so excited when my mom would cut up slices of watermelon for a snack on those hot and humid Wisconsin summer days.

While perusing Yummly the other day, I happened upon a cantaloupe salad served in it’s own rind bowl. “What a cute idea, but watermelon rinds are so much prettier,” I thought to myself. Plus, cantaloupe is my least favorite melon, so I wanted to add others to break it up.

Using the basic ideas from this recipe, I came up with a three melon salad with basil and a simple dressing of lemon juice, honey and salt.

I love the idea of serving this salad in the mini watermelon rinds. The green pop of the rind is so pretty and the perfect serving vessel.

Instead of using almonds, I chose to use sunflower seeds for some added crunch and texture. You could definitely substitute almonds or any other nut or seed, if you aren’t into sunflower seeds.

This super simple salad will look so pretty at your next picnic or bbq. Something about rounded melon just seems fancier than it really is. And don’t worry, the basil and salt are so subtle, they just elevate the sweetness of the fruit and add some depth to the dish.

Three Melon Salad with Basil

Ingredients:

1 baby watermelon
½ medium size cantaloupe melon
½ medium sized honeydew melon
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp salt
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup honey
2 tbsps chopped sweet basil leaves

Directions:

1. Cut the baby watermelon in half.
2. Using a melon baller, scoop out bite sized pieces. Using a spoon, clean out all of the watermelon so you have a nice empty bowl, evenly cleaned.
3. Repeat with the other two melons.
4. Combine all melons together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Mix salt, lemon juice and honey together, add dressing and basil to the melons and mix well.
6. Top with sunflower seeds and serve in melon shells.

Have you tried melon salad with basil before? What’s your favorite summer fruit?