Turn delicious melon into an epic recipe with a healthy and hydrating Cantaloupe Salad. While a good sweet cantaloupe doesn’t necessarily need enhancement, you can’t go wrong with these natural flavor pairings. This is a salad meant for sharing, so enjoy with friends on the patio or bring to a potluck or summer gathering.
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Melon is basically a pantry staple in our house in the heat of summer. Simple, fresh cantaloupe slices are a perfect side dish or healthy dessert, but it can be so much more with a few simple additions. Add a banana and yogurt, and you’ve got a cantaloupe smoothie. Add prosciutto and cheese, and you’ve got fruity and filling appetizer skewer.
When I want an impressive fruit salad, or need more sustenance after a long hike or afternoon in the garden, I reach for this Cantaloupe Salad. Sweet, ripe melon is a terrific base for a summer salad (try our watermelon and strawberry salad) but it’s also nutritious, hydrating, and hearty without feeling heavy.
Ripe cantaloupe chunks are tossed with fresh herbs and crispy slivers of english cucumbers, then dotted with juicy raspberries for a sweet and sour finish. This salad doesn’t need a dressing, but a very light honey lemon vinaigrette takes it from delicious to epic. Enjoy this salad on the patio with a crisp glass of white wine and your favorite people.
Cantaloupe Salad Ingredients
The best cantaloupe recipes have flavors that complement, never compete, with the melon’s sweet flavor. More sweet never hurts (think honey, agave, or other fruits), plus tartly sweet flavors like raspberries and lemon enhance the flavor of natural sugars. Subtle earthy flavors like fresh herbs do a great job of creating a well-rounded flavor profile.
To make this cantaloupe salad you’ll need:
- Cantaloupe: choose a ripe, sweet melon. See below for tips on how to choose the best one!
- English Cucumber: these long, thin cucumbers have tender, sweet skin, so leave it intact.
- Fresh Mint and Basil: fresh herbs always elevate a dish; mint is sweet and refreshing, and basil adds a peppery finish that complements the sweet and sour notes from fresh fruits.
- Raspberries: dot the salad with raspberries for a kick of tart.
- Lemon Juice: we always prefer fresh lemon juice, and it forms the flavor base for a light dressing.
- Honey: a tiny bit of honey adds just the right earthy sweetness to the dressing.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: earthy and grassy, choose extra virgin olive oil for the dressing for robust flavor.
How to Pick a Ripe Cantaloupe
- It will smell sweet; if the cantaloupe has no odor, it’s probably underripe so let it sit for a few more days.
- It will feel heavy for its size, as well as firm, but not hard.
- The skin/rind will be a creamy yellow color with no hints of green.
How to Make Cantaloupe Salad
A good cantaloupe doesn’t need much enhancement, if any, but crisp cucumbers, fresh herbs and raspberries are natural pairings that will really make the flavor sing. It’s a great twist on a traditional fruit salad and holds its own as a weeknight side dish, or for a potluck or summer gathering. Cantaloupe salad will keep well in the fridge for a few days, so don’t be intimidated by the servings yield – you’ll want to eat it for days.
- Dice a cantaloupe into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine with thinly sliced english cucumber, and julienned fresh mint and basil.
- Make the honey lemon dressing, then pour over the salad and toss.
- Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve. Reserve the raspberries for last so the delicate flesh doesn’t tear when tossing.
Chef’s Tips!
- Garnish with raspberries after tossing, just before you’re ready to serve – the berries are so delicate that they tend to break apart when tossed.
- This salad is only as good as the ingredients, so be picky – if possible purchase the ingredients the day you plan to make the salad, but no more than 2 days ahead of time.
- Dice the melon into bite-sized pieces and the cucumber into thin slivers for best texture. A mandoline is handy tool for thinly sliced vegetables, but not necessary if you’re confident in your knife skills.
- Always use a sharp knife when slicing into a melon – a dull knife is more likely to slip and cause potential injury.
- To make this recipe vegan, use agave nectar in place of honey.
More Ways to Enjoy Fresh Melon!
- Melon Salad with Prosciutto
- Watermelon and Strawberry Salad
- Cantaloupe Smoothie
- Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Bites
Did you make this Cantaloupe Salad? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Cantaloupe Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
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Ingredients
- 1 cantaloupe, diced
- ½ english cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ c loosely packed mint leaves, julienned
- ¼ c loosely packed basil leaves, julienned
- 1 pint raspberries
Honey Lemon Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the cantaloupe, cucumber, mint, and basil leaves in a large salad bowl.
- Whisk the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and honey until the honey is dissolved and the dressing is smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until combined. Dot with fresh raspberries and serve. Alternatively, portion into bowls and then garnish with fresh raspberries.
Notes
- This salad is only as good as the ingredients, so be picky. A ripe cantaloupe will smell sweet, feel heavy for its size, and have a firm rind that is golden in color without a hint of green.
- To make this recipe vegan, use agave nectar in place of honey.
- Storage Instructions: store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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