Refreshing and bright papaya salad with tropical fruits and prawns is a perfect summer dish that can be enjoyed for lunch, dinner or a barbecue party! Easy, delicious and healthy recipe!
You won’t believe how different and awesome a fruit salad can taste! This salad makes for a summer main course dish, which is so easy and quick to make! You can also serve it as a side dish for your next barbecue or as an appetizer for a party. Besides, it’s packed with nutrients, vitamins and protein!
When you serve this salad for your family or guests, expect eyebrows to be raised. I mean, doesn’t it look spectacular? You can serve it in papaya halves, so there is no need to do the dishes afterwards 😉 Another idea would be to use avocado halves for smaller portions (ex. if you serve it as an appetizer for a party) or cantaloupe melon boats. You can also serve it in normal salad bowls, if you wish.
You can use fruits of your choice in this salad which you think would be a good fit. I’ve used ripe mango, cantaloupe melon and papaya. Other ingredients include avocado, garlic, prawns and mint, lime juice, honey and olive oil for the dressing. Last summer I’ve made this salad slightly differently, I also added olives and marinated roasted bell peppers and used pesto instead of the mint-lime dressing. I feel like it was a little too intense in terms of flavor (if it can even be a problem) and the dressing was overriding other ingredients. This time I opted for a more simple but refreshing dressing option and the salad couldn’t win more with it.
How to Make Papaya Salad with Prawns
It’s really easy to make this papaya salad with prawns. We are going to fry prawns with a bit of garlic and olive oil on a pan, prepare your fruits and dice them and finally, make the dressing. Watch this video on how to scoop papaya seeds (and flesh) with a spoon. Use the same method for avocado, mango and melon! It takes no more than 20 minutes all together, which is pretty quick for a fancy weeknight dinner.
Papaya Salad with Prawns
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 papaya
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 small cantaloupe melon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 200 grams or 7 oz prawns peeled
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh mint leaves to garnish
Instructions
- FRUITS: Cut papaya, mango and avocado and pit them. Use a tablespoon to take out the flesh and save papaya skins for serving. Peel the cantaloupe melon and remove the seeds. Dice everything, transfer in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix well.
- PRAWNS: Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and prawns and fry for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until prawns turn pink. Add to the fruits.
- DRESSING: For the dressing, whisk together chopped mint leaves, lime juice, honey and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the salad and mix. Divide the salad amongst papaya halves or salad bowls. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I’d love to know your opinion about this recipe! Would you change anything in it? If you make this salad, please take a shot and tag me @happykitchen.rocks on Instagram or Facebook. Can’t wait to see your pictures!
Love,
Elena
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