Crab and Cantaloupe Salad with Ginger and Mint Dressing

Crab and Cantaloupe Salad with Ginger and Mint Dressing
Andrew Testa for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(56)
Comments
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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 3tablespoons shavings of fresh coconut, optional
  • 1cantaloupe, quartered, seeded and peeled
  • ½cucumber, peeled
  • ½small red onion, very finely sliced
  • ÂĽcup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into fine matchsticks
  • 2long red chilies, seeded and finely sliced
  • 2stalks lemon grass, tender portion at base only, trimmed and finely sliced
  • 2tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3tablespoons lime juice
  • 2tablespoons coconut cream
  • 1½tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
  • ½pound fresh white crab meat
  • 2tablespoons unsalted peanuts, toasted and crushed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

143 calories; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 706 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using coconut, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the shavings on a baking sheet and toast until crisp and pale golden at the edges, tossing halfway through, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Cut the cantaloupe into thin slices. Using a vegetable peeler, pare the cucumber into long strips, discarding the core. Place on a serving platter, add red onion and mint, and toss.

  3. Step 3

    Finely dice half the ginger and chilies and place in a bowl. Add the lemon grass, fish sauce, lime juice, coconut cream and sugar, and whisk to blend. Taste and adjust dressing if needed; it should be fragrant, sweet, salty and sour.

  4. Step 4

    To assemble: Scatter the crab on the salad and spoon the dressing over it. Top with remaining ginger and chilies, coconut, if using, and peanuts. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
56 user ratings
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Comments

Amazing! I was looking for a recipe using cantaloupe and I found this Indonesian-style salad. Followed recipe as written. Dressing complements the cantaloupe, crab, cukes; the coconut (used Mavuno dried) and peanuts add wonderful crunch. Added watercress. A great summery salad. You've got to try this one!

This time I made the salad into a noodle bowl by adding buckwheat soba and baby arugula nestled along side the rest of the ingredients and dressing. Fantastic!

If any vegans stumble across this recipe, know that hearts of palm, replacing crab, and diluted tamarind paste, replacing fish sauce, work wonderfully. We will be eating this again.

I needed something quick to moisten a single serving of an ersatz crab meet salad and found this recipe. Fish sauce and lime were perfect. Used 4 oz Costco lump crab meat with shredded carrots, diced cucumbers, soybean sprouts, parsley leaves because that’s what I had. Squeezed half lime and poured in about a tsp of fish sauce. Added dry roasted peanuts (I keep a jar in the freezer to have on hand) because sounded so good from recipe. Delicious. This seems like a highly adaptable recipe

Would be great with tuna.

This time I made the salad into a noodle bowl by adding buckwheat soba and baby arugula nestled along side the rest of the ingredients and dressing. Fantastic!

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