Cantaloupe Microgreen Salad with a Blackberry Balsamic Glaze
Who said salads have to be boring?! This salad is anything but, with the greens and dressing taking the show over. A great salad for a light appetizer, and easy to prepare ahead of time!
The real star. Typically in a salad, I find the lettuce is an afterthought, put down to establish the base for fun vegetables and proteins-always the bridesmaid, never the bride. This salad takes a reverse approach, and uses the microgreen as the starting point for the entire salad inspiration! I spent some time talking with the grower when I bought these, and the cantaloupe microgreen was one of his favorites, as it brought such a unique flavor, and interestingly sweet hint. Of course I had to try them out!
The secret’s in the sauce (or recipe below…). The real challenge here was how to showcase a sweet lettuce. I’ve had my challenges with bitter greens, but sweet was new for me, and I wanted to do this justice, but also give a little contrast to the salad overall. My mind went to other fruits that could help enhance, but not overpower, this delicious green. While the microgreen was the star ingredient, I will not discredit this glaze AT ALL. If I had one regret, it would be to not triple the recipe and always have it on hand (ideas for a full blog alone-but drizzled over ice cream, baked brie, fruit bruschetta….yummmmy). While reduced with balsamic, the berry flavor came through predominately, and the basil offered just a subtle support-absolutely justifies licking your plate on this one!
Have you tried microgreens before?! Different varieties? I’d love to hear more from you on how you use them!
This recipe stemmed from (pun definitely intended) another challenge from the Tour of the Market series, where I try to utilize seasonal farmers market ingredients in new ways.
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Cantaloupe Microgreen Salad with a Blackberry Balsamic Glaze
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
- Baking sheet or skillet if using stovetop
- Cheese Cloth or Fine Strainer
Ingredients
Glaze
- 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 cup Blackberries
- 4-5 leaves Fresh Basil
- 10 tail-on Shrimp-deviened
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 handfuls Cantaloupe Microgreens
- 1 tbsp Roquefort Cheese
Instructions
Glaze
- In saucepan, pour balsamic and 1/2 of the blackberries. Bring to a soft boil, then reduce until just a light steam. Let reduce until about 1/2 liquid, breaking up berries as it cooks.
- After the sauce is almost reduced to liking, chop and add basil leaves, stirring together.
- Sauce should start to thicken to the point of lingering on the spoon when dipped in. Keep in mind, it will thicken a bit when cool.
- Removing from heat, pour through the strainer or cheese cloth into another bowl. Save the berries left behind! Set aside to cool further. If needed, add back to saucepan to further reduce.
Salad
- Preheat oven to 350, and taking thawed shrimp, drizzle with oil, chili powder and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- On plate, drizzle glaze, place a handful of microgreens, and top with a crumble of cheese. Assemble half of the shrimp to each plate, and add a few blackberries to garnish. Enjoy!Variations: this salad is kept light and simple to showcase the greens, but to make for a heartier dish, add atop more spring greens, and add additional toppings-nuts and avocado would complement well.
