TL/DR – Cantaloupe Pepperoni Salad with Lemon Basil Buttermilk Dressing. Try this amazing flavor combination, which is as tasty as it is weird. A perfect summer dinner salad! –
As odd as this flavor combination sounds, it is the best thing I’ve eaten this summer. I have my 3 year old daughter to thank, for it was she who made a big stink about having pepperoni pizza only to decide that the pepperoni were totally undesirable. Can you relate?
As one does, I ate the unwanted crispy-pizza-oveny-pepperoni in between bites of cantaloupe and I discovered that this combination is better than cantaloupe with prosciutto. Then blue cheese became part of the whole thing, (of course,) along with my favorite summer dressing to whip up when the basil is popping off in the garden and, well… what can I say? I’m happy it’s summertime.
Start by broiling some pepperoni triangles until they are crispy and a little brown. This releases some fat, which can be dabbed off with a napkin. It also releases flavor! It’s like the brown crispy cheddar that comes off of a grilled cheese sandwich and burns just enough to be sooo delicious.
In a small food processor, blend together a lot of fresh basil, the zest and juice of a lemon, a bit of mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt and pepper until you have a smooth, green dressing.
Assemble the salad with any type of greens, (arugula does make it even more interesting,) followed by small bites of cantaloupe, crumbled blue cheese and the crispy pepperoni. Dress it generously. I am a chopped salad fan, so I like to run my fork and knife through my salad to achieve bites that have a bit of each element.
For more easy weeknight summer salads, try Avocado Peanut Bulgur Salad, Jalapeño Salmon Chopped Salad, or a great vegan option: Southwestern Roasted Tofu and Bean Salad.
Cantaloupe Pepperoni Salad
A salad with crispy broiled pepperoni, sweet cantaloupe and blue cheese, topped with lemon basil buttermilk dressing. Weird, yes. Tasty, YES.
Ingredients
- 4 oz pepperoni sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 5 oz salad greens or baby arugula
- 2 oz crumbled blue cheese
- 4 cantaloupe wedges, seeded, rind removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 oz fresh basil
- zest of one lemon
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1/4 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Spread the pepperoni slices on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on low for about 3 to 5 minutes, keeping a close eye so that they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and dab the excess fat with a paper towel.
- Step 2 Combine the basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt and pepper in a small food processor and process on high until you achieve a creamy, green salad dressing.
- Step 3 Assemble each of four plates with about 1 1/2 oz salad greens or arugula, 1/2 oz blue cheese, a handful of crispy pepperoni and one of the chopped cantaloupe wedges. Dress each serving generously and serve immediately.
