Cantaloupe, strawberries and crisp greens combine to make this colorful, fresh and unique dish. Add chicken and yogurt for a nutritious and tasty summer dinner salad.

Cantaloupe is a member of a plant family that includes both melon and squash. The melon size varies depending on the growing region, but a medium-sized melon only consists of about 200 calories. Some experts believe that cultivation of cantaloupes dates back to the Biblical period in Egypt and Greece, while others are convinced that they were first cultivated in Persia (present day Iran), Armenia and India.

The strawberry, a member of the rose family, is native to North America. The most common variety is a hybrid from the wild Virginia strawberry. The plant produces its succulent red, conical berries from tiny white flowers and sends out runners to spread and propagate. They have been around thousands of years, but early Americans did not bother to cultivate them because wild strawberries were so abundant. They are a good source of vitamin C.

White, salty, crumbly feta cheese is traditionally made from sheep or goat's milk, though now it's also made with cow's milk. Although it is considered the model Greek brined cheese, it may have originally been Italian. The word "feta" did not even exist in Classical Greek. The New Greek word, originally tyripheta, means "cheese slice," but "feta" comes from the Italian word fette, meaning a slice of food.

This is a simple, summer meal salad great for weekend brunch or for your workday lunchbox entree.

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Cantaloupe and Strawberry Salad with Chicken

Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. fruit flavored vinegar (apple or raspberry work well)
  • 1 tsp. poppy seeds
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 8 cups salad greens
  • 2 cups cooked skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 2 cups cantaloupe, cubed
  • 1 cup strawberries, halved
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

  1. In small skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Combine sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper in large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of dressing in separate bowl. Add the greens to dressing in large bowl and toss to coat.
  3. Divide coated greens among 4 salad plates and top with chicken, melon, strawberries, feta and walnuts. Drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon of the reserved dressing and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
295 calories
12 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
15 g carbohydrate
32 g protein
4 g dietary fiber
320 mg sodium