Portions: 6 servings Calories: 158kcal |
If you love combining fruits with your savory dishes this Serrano ham and carambola or star fruit salad recipe is a colorful summer dinner salad with few but beautiful ingredients that will impress your family and guests.
By - Revised . Original Jul 18, 2014.
Carambola or Star Fruit Salad and Serrano Ham [Video+Recipe].
Why we ❤️ it
- As a denizen of a tropical corner of the world, I am very spoiled when it comes to fruits, and I love adding them to savory dishes, and in this one, the combination is gold.
- This beautiful star fruit salad is a symphony of flavors (from the strong Serrano ham to the mild carambola), and gorgeous colors.
Carambola or Star Fruit Salad and Serrano Ham [Video+Recipe]
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
For the dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 4 teaspoon sugar (white, granulated)
For the salad
- 1 iceberg lettuce, (see notes), washed, and spinned-dry
- 2 carambola/star fruit, cut into fine slices
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into fine strips
- 4 ounces Serrano ham, [113 gr], sliced then shredded into thin
Video
Preparation
1. Mix dressing
Combine all the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, salt, parsley, sugar) in the mixing cup.Using a stick blender process until you obtain a uniform mixture.
2. Make the salad
- Arrange all the ingredients for the salad (lettuce, star fruit, pepper, ham) on a serving plate.Serve alongside dressing.
Top tips
- Leaves: Use whatever type of green lettuce you prefer. I used this one because I love the taste and looks. Other good choices are arugula, romaine, and curly endives. Different leaves will give the salad different flavor profiles.
- Lemon: If you would like a bit of a citrus touch to your salad, add a squeeze of lemon to the dressing.
- Other fruits: This is a salad that works with several other fruits, so if you don't have carambola, you can use apples or pears (sliced very thinly) instead of carambola. You can also add other vegetables to it, like thinly-sliced cucumbers, black olives, and even sliced seedless grapes.
Make it sparkle like jewelry with some pomegranate seeds if you have it.
Serving suggestions
This is a marvelous summer salad recipe, perfect for dining al fresco, but can also be served as a light dinner for two.
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Learn more
What's star fruit?
Carambola, starfruit or star fruit, is the fruit of the tropical tree Averrhoa carambola native of Southeast Asia (Southern China, India, Malaysia, etc.)
It was spread to other tropical and subtropical areas, including South America and the Caribbean by the Portuguese. Star fruit is carambola in Spanish.
The yellow or orange star-shaped fruit has a pear-like consistency and a very mild flavor. The unripe fruit has a green color that changes when it matures. When cut, the slices have the shape of stars, hence the name.
Health benefits of starfruit
Carambola is rich in antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C, low in sugar, sodium, and acids. It is a good source of antioxidant polyphenols.
Note that carambola should not be consumed by those suffering from any type of kidney disease, and people on certain medications because of its high content of oxalic acids. You may want to talk to a health professional about it.
How to eat star fruit
Star fruit can be made into starfruit drinks, juices, salads, chutneys, and desserts. And, of course, you can eat the fruit on its own too. Carambola slices are perfect as garnishes for drinks and dishes with their beautiful star shape cross section.
How to cut star fruit?
Star fruit can be cut into slices, that will have the shape of stars. For some preparations you may want to dice it or cube it. You do not need to peel it.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Very good and also useful to read.
Thank you.
Beautiful recipe, I googled some recipe with carambola and found this one.