Your New Favorite Summer Salad – with Figs, Melon & Dukkah

There are a million and one recipes for summer salads on the interwebs, but none like this. Sweet cantaloupe melon, paired with tender figs, creamy burrata, salty prosciutto and spicy and nutty dukkah are a gorgeous contrast of colors, flavors and textures. I promise you one thing – this Fig, Melon and Dukkah Salad is one you’ll turn to again and again, all summer long.
Jump to RecipeOk cool, cool, cool, the salad sounds amazing. But you’re probably wondering what in the heck Dukkah is, right?

Dukkah is the Egyptian spice & nut blend you didn’t know you needed in your life
The first time I tried Dukkah I just about died. Sprinkled on a melon burrata salad at Redbird in Los Angeles, it was a crunchy, salty explosion of flavor that really blew my mind. Dukkah (also known as Duqqa) is an ancient spice and nut blend that hails from Egypt. It usually has a combination of nuts and seeds (especially sesame), along with toasted cumin and coriander. I could literally sprinkle it on everything from salads to ice creams, or grilled chicken and flatbreads. Though it varies a little each time I make it, here’s what I typically put in mine:
- sesame seeds
- pistachios
- pumpkin seeds
- sunflower seeds
- coriander
- cumin
- flaky sea salt
Each ingredient gets toasted separately in a small pan, then smashed in a mortal and pestle until it’s ground up, but still has lots of texture. I add sea salt, to taste, at the end.

This Fig Melon Dukkah Salad is the perfect summer meal!
How you feeling? Hot, hot, hot? Me too! Where we live in Southern California we have weeks in summer where it is too hot to cook. Or do anything, frankly. That’s when we open a bottle of rosé wine and have salad for dinner. Sure we love the typical salad-for-dinner standbys like grilled chicken salads and pasta salads, but sometimes it’s great to mix things up a little.
I LOVE fresh figs because they are gorgeous, tender and absolutely delicious. I also love fresh cantaloupe melon, in particular the Tuscan variety because it’s so flavorful. Together, they make a spectacular addition to fresh salads, but because they are both so sweet and so soft, they need some contrast in both flavors and textures.


How to make your new favorite summer salad with fig, melon and dukkah
First I get out a huge platter and layer it with something green, like watercress or arugula. Then I scatter the top with quartered figs and chunks of melon. Next I carefully cut two balls of burrata (fresh mozzarellas creamier cousin) into quarters and place them evenly around the platter. Then, I tear slices of prosciutto and tuck them in between the melon, figs and burrata. I top everything with fresh herbs like mint and basil, microgreens if I’m feeling extra fancy, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Finally, I sprinkle the top with dukkah. It’s a really fun and easy salad to assemble, and it looks so impressive on the platter.

I think you’ll absolutely love everything about this unique summer fig, melon, and dukkah salad. It so flavorful, and takes advantage of all of the wonderful fresh produce this season has to offer! You can find this and some of my other delicious recipes on the post Sweet Corn Fritters with Tomato Jam: Alison from A Girl Defloured on the California Grown blog!
Love salad for dinner in summer? We do too! Here are a few more recipes to try:
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries, Quinoa and Arugula
- The Best No-Mayo Avocado Chicken Salad
- Deli Style Spaghetti Salad
- Pantry Staple Chopped Salad
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and star rating below (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) and post a picture and tag us on Instagram using the hashtags #agirldefloured #deflouredrecipes! Thank you!

Fig, Melon & Dukkah Salad
Equipment
- Large Platter
- Small skillet
- Food processor or mortal and pestle
- Salad spinner
Ingredients
For the Dukkah
- 1/4 cup raw pistachios out of their shells
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds out of their shells
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as maldon
For the Salad
- 7 ounces watercress or arugula
- 1/2 Tuscan melon or ripe cantaloupe
- 1 pint fresh figs
- 2 4 ounce balls of burrata or fresh mozzarella
- 2 ounces prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- handful fresh herbs such as basil or mint
Instructions
Prepare the Dukkah
- Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the pistachios and toast until lightly golden brown. Remove from skillet place in food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment.
- Add the pumpkin seed and sunflower seeds to the skillet and toast until lightly golden brown. Remove from skillet place in the food processor.
- Add the sesame seeds to the skillet and toast until lightly golden brown. Remove from skillet place in the food processor.
- Add the cumin and coriander seeds to the skillet and toast until lightly golden brown. Remove from skillet place in the food processor.
- Pulse the nut seed mixture until everything is roughly chopped. It's ok if there are some larger bits and very fine bits. Instead of using a food processor you can smash the seeds, nuts and spices in a mortar and pestle. Stir in the flaky salt and set aside.
Make the Salad
- Remove the watercress leaves from any rough stems. Wash and spin the leaves dry, then lay them evenly over the platter. Alternatively, you can use arugula to line the platter (or a combination of both).
- Scatter the top of the watercress with quartered figs and chunks of melon.
- Carefully cut two balls of burrata into quarters and place them evenly around the platter.
- Tear slices of prosciutto and tuck them in between the melon, figs and burrata.
- Top everything with fresh herbs like mint and basil, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle the salad evenly with 1-2 tablespoons of the prepared dukkah. Reserve the reaming dukkah for grilled chicken, flatbread, or other salads!