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Best enjoyed as a side salad, this Cantaloupe Feta Mint Salad is fresh, cool, and perfect for your next picnic or backyard barbeque. Wildly colorful and unique, this salad combination will be the star of the table.

Fun and summery twist

If you couldn't tell, summer salads are kind of my thing! 😅 I love taking advantage of all the fresh produce and creating a cold dish to help cool down in the heat. And this delicious and juicy Cantaloupe Feta Mint Salad is the latest of my salad creations.

Best enjoyed as a side salad, this Cantaloupe Feta Mint Salad is fresh, cool, and perfect for your next picnic or backyard barbeque. Wildly colorful and unique, this salad combination will be the star of the table. Creamy feta, tart lime, refreshing mint, and a little bit of chile lime seasoning seriously upgrade your cantaloupe with incredible flavor.

I love to pair it with savory foods since it's a little on the sweeter side. A tender piece of chicken, char-grilled burger, or savory sausage link is the perfect addition!

 Serving a crowd—or enjoying solo? Feel free to halve or double the serving size as needed.

Ingredients needed for this cantaloupe salad

Cantaloupe: Sweet, juicy, and tender. So perfect for a summer salad! I used a medium-sized melon.

Cucumbers: For fresh crunch! I used English cucumbers, which are longer and more narrow than regular cucumbers.

Feta Cheese: Literally my FAVORITE cheese! Tastes so good with in salads and with fruit. That means it was meant for this recipe!

Mint Stalks: You'll want to use about 12 leaves. Adds bright and refreshing flavor.

Limes: A little sour to go with the sweet.

Chile Lime Seasoning: Adds some heat. I know it seems weird, but the flavor pairs so well with melon.

Onion: I used a red onion for some more crunch and poignant taste.

Simple kitchen tools needed

To make this Cantaloupe Feta Mint Salad, you'll need a cutting board, knife, mixing bowl and a spoon.

How to prepare this Cantaloupe Feta Mint Salad

1. First, slice the cantaloupe into small, bite-sized pieces. There are a variety of ways to do this, but below you’ll find step-by-step imagery to guide you through the process. Slice the cantaloupe in half and de-seed with a spoon. Using a knife, remove the skin from the cantaloupe. Cut into vertical pieces. Then, dice perpendicularly.
2. Dice your red onion very finely. You can also use a vegetable shaver to create more delicate onion flavor in your salad.
3. Dice cucumbers and mint leaves very finely.
4. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Squeeze limes to coat the salad in lime juice. Then, sprinkle chile lime seasoning. Gently toss.
5. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator to enjoy later.

Picking a fresh cantaloupe

This salad tastes best when you use a fresh, juicy cantaloupe that's in season. This way, the fruit will be at peak sweetness and have incredible flavor. It really will enhance the quality of your dish!

As with most fruit, you'll want to avoid a cantaloupe with soft, dark spots. This means that the fruit is on it's way to spoiling. Instead of being firm and crunchy, the texture will be soft and mushy. And, trust me. It won't taste good. Instead, you'll want to pick a melon with tan skin and light green lines running across it.

You can also determine a cantaloupe's freshness by its smell. Sniff the melon where the stem was cut. (Generally, right at the top.) When there is no smell, the cantaloupe is not ripe yet. If it smells bad or foul, it's over-ripe.

If you won't be making this salad the day you purchase the cantaloupe, I recommend purchasing an under-ripe melon so it will taste best when you do decide to make it!

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Other ways to enjoy this cantaloupe salad

Not a fan of cantaloupe? Don't fear. Try using fresh mango, pineapple, or apples. You can also substitute honeydew to incorporate a different melon and make this a green goddess salad.

Add a complex carb like couscous or quinoa. You could also serve with a bitter green like arugula.

If I was to add anything to this salad to change it up, it would be peaches, burrata cheese, and balsamic glaze!

Frequently asked questions about this recipe

How do I store this salad?
Store this salad in an airtight container for one day. It’s best served fresh as the ingredients will continue to marinate. The texture of this salad is best when everything but the cantaloupe is finely chopped.

Any tips for success?
Use a cantaloupe that is juicy and in season! It will provide the best flavor.

Will it still taste good if I omit the cheese?
Absolutely! It’s no secret how much I love feta cheese. But it’s so easy to omit completely or substitute with a dairy free version.

Love this? Check out these:

Summer salads are such a fun addition to an outdoor meal. You may also enjoy some of these recipes:

Watermelon Mint Feta Salad

Peach Burrata Salad

Lemon Basil Caprese Salad

Triple Berry Summer Salad

Healthy Broccoli Salad

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved, something that you think it might need, or just say hi!

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