Cool off and wind down with this Curried Melon Salad. It’s a sweet and savory dish made with melons, Quorn meatless “chicken,” and a delicious curry yogurt sauce. Ready in 20 minutes or less!
Ahhh, my favorite salad of the summer! The tulip-mama would always make this chicken melon curry salad when the melons came into season in Holland. It never quite felt like summer until the dish made its way to the table, an unspoken commencement of the start of the season.
Chilled, refreshing, and deliciously filling, this salad is one for the books. The presentation gets an A+ rating too, as you can serve it right inside the honeydew shell!
Though the OG recipe came with chicken, we’re serving up Quorn meatless pieces instead. This recipe isn’t sponsored, it’s just so tasty and perfect with the Quorn substitute that I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t recommend it!
Ingredients included in curried melon salad
This “chicken” melon curry salad consists of three parts: the salad fillings (like your greens and other salad staples), the “chicken,” and the creamy dressing. Each part has just a handful of ingredients and comes together in minutes.
The salad fillings are simple and easy to prepare.
- Honeydew Melon: One honeydew melon will be enough for three large servings of this salad.
- Green Bell Pepper: Grab a green bell pepper for the perfect crunchy addition. Plus, the added crunchiness is always great.
- Spring Mix: For greens, 3 cups of spring mix will be perfect. This dish is a great way to use up that bag in your fridge that’s about to expire! Don’t worry… it happens to all of us.
- Sliced Almonds: Finally, a sprinkle of sliced almonds will give this salad the perfect final touch of crunch.
The “chicken” is made from Quorn Meatless Pieces and a handful of seasonings.
- Olive Oil: Start with a splash of olive oil to saute our “chicken”.
- Quorn Meatless Pieces: My favorite part of the recipe, 1 12-oz package of Quorn meatless pieces will be the perfect amount for this recipe.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika, salt, and pepper add delicious smokey flavor to the “chicken”.
Finally, the sauce! A quick blend of ingredients that transform this simple salad.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise lays the base of this sauce. I like using full-fat, but light would also work.
- Greek Yogurt: To add tanginess and a bit of protein, Greek yogurt it is!
- Curry Powder: Curry powder gives this salad major flavor and works perfectly with the sweet honeydew.
- Lemon Juice: Brighten up the flavor with a squeeze of fresh orange juice.
- Salt & Pepper: Finally, add salt and pepper to taste.
How to make meatless curry salad
Curry salad sounds difficult in theory, but the truth is that this “chicken” curry recipe is quite easy to put together! After prepping all of the ingredients, all you have to do is cook the “meat” and prep the sauce (which only involves mixing the ingredients together). The process goes something like this:
- Prep the ingredients: First, cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. Using a small melon scooper or a rounded spoon, scoop ball shapes out of the melon, getting as much of the fruit out as possible but leaving the rind intact. Set the melon balls aside. Cut the bell pepper and measure out the spring mix.
- Cook the “chicken:” Next, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the Quorn Meatless pieces, as well as the paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir evenly to coat. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until everything is cooked through and lightly browned.
- Make the sauce: Stir all of the sauce ingredients together, adding salt and pepper to suit your taste.
- Assemble the salad: Toss to combine the melon balls, bell pepper, spring mix, “chicken,” and sauce. Spoon everything back into the hollowed out melon shells, or into individual serving bowls. Top with sliced almonds.
Try these refreshing salads next!
The summer salads don’t stop with vegetarian curry! For more ideas that you’re guaranteed to love, check out my complete list of refreshing vegetarian summer salads.
- Grilled Watermelon Salad
- Grilled Broccoli Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
- Summer Vegetable Salad
- Berry Salad with Lavender Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 medium honeydew melon
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 3 cups spring mix salad
- 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
“Chicken”
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- 1 12-oz package Quorn Meatless Pieces frozen, 340 g
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise 30 g
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt 30 g
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice 5 mL
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Salad: Cut melon in half and scoop out seeds. Using a small melon scooper or rounded spoon, scoop ball shapes out of the melon, getting as much of the fruit out as possible, but leaving the rind intact. Set melon balls aside. Cut bell pepper and measure out spring mix.
- "Chicken": Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add Quorn Meatless pieces, paprika, salt, and pepper, stirring to evenly coat. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned.
- Sauce: Stir together all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to suit your taste.
- Assemble: Toss to combine the melon balls, bell pepper, spring mix, "chicken", and sauce. Spoon back into hollowed out melon shells, or into individual serving bowls. Top with sliced almonds.
Tips & Tricks
- Serve immediately after mixing together.
- If making in advance, store each component separately (melon balls, salad fillings, sauce, and “chicken”).
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