Crab and Cantaloupe Salad with Ginger and Mint Dressing
Published August 16, 2011
Andrew Testa for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 tablespoons shavings of fresh coconut, optional
1 cantaloupe, quartered, seeded and peeled
½ cucumber, peeled
½ small red onion, very finely sliced
¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into fine matchsticks
2 long red chilies, seeded and finely sliced
2 stalks lemon grass, tender portion at base only, trimmed and finely sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons coconut cream
1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
½ pound fresh white crab meat
2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, toasted and crushed
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
18 grams carbs; 37 milligrams cholesterol; 143 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 706 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Private Notes
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!
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.
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!
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!