Cantaloupe Salad with Feta, Olives and Walnuts

This cantaloupe salad features fresh, sweet cantaloupe, salty feta, savoury green olives and crunchy walnuts for a surprisingly delicious summer dish. Simple to prepare and ready in minutes!

This cantaloupe salad is a combination of flavours which create a unique and delicious dish. Salty feta, bold, savoury olives and slightly bitter walnuts are not the most obvious choice of ingredients to accompany sweet cantaloupe. For me, however, it's the contrast between the fruit and these unlikely candidates that makes this salad so appealing.

This savoury salad with cantaloupe is also very simple to make. The most time consuming preparation step is cutting the cantaloupe. Once that's done then just stir in freshly chopped mint, top with the rest of the ingredients, drizzle over the dressing and serve!

How to prepare the cantaloupe

For me the best way of preparing cantaloupe melon for salad is to cut it into wedges, slice the skin off then cut each wedge into smaller pieces (see detailed instructions below). You can use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh, instead, if you prefer, though I find that this method produces quite a bit of waste. But the choice is yours.

Cantaloupe salad ingredients and substitutions

• Cantaloupe: use any variety.
• Feta: works also in other salads containing fruit, such as strawberry cucumber and broccoli pomegranate.
• Olives: use your favourite pitted green olives, including stuffed olives.
• Walnuts.
• White balsamic vinegar: you can use another mild tasting, light vinegar, such as rice vinegar. Alternatively use lemon juice. Regular (dark) balsamic vinegar is not a suitable alternative.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Fresh mint.
• Honey.
• For serving: red pepper flakes, lemon wedges and zest of 1 lemon.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Make dressing: Combine the oil with the balsamic vinegar and honey. Set aside.

2. Prepare cantaloupe: Cut the cantaloupe in half, scoop out and discard the seeds, then cut into about 1.5-inch wedges and slice off the skin. Cut each wedge into 4-5 pieces and spread over a large plate/platter.

3. Add dressing: Scatter about 1 tablespoon of the mint over the cantaloupe and add ⅔ of the dressing. Stir thoroughly.

4. Assemble and serve: Top the cantaloupe with the feta, olives and walnuts. Scatter the rest of the mint, lemon zest and red pepper flakes over the top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve with lemon wedges.

TIP: I like to serve this salad on top of a large platter, but if you prefer to stir the ingredients and serve the salad in a bowl I recommend using a large, shallow bowl.

*Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a full, printable list of ingredients and instructions.

Serving suggestions

This cantaloupe salad with feta and olives makes a delicious starter, perfect for a summer barbecue. You can also serve it with garlic bread or French-style crusty bread as well as grilled chicken or fish. It can also be enjoyed as a stand alone light, summer meal.

What to make ahead

While I don't recommend preparing this salad in advance you can prepare the dressing the night before, cover and refrigerate. You can also remove excess moisture from the olives and feta by patting them dry, covering and refrigerating overnight.

I don't recommend preparing the cantaloupe the night before, but you can cut it for up to an hour before serving. Keep covered and refrigerated. For best results chop and add the mint just before serving.

Variations

I like this cantaloupe summer salad just as it is, but you can try adding different ingredients, if preferred. Here are some options:

• Baby spinach: spread a handful over the bottom of your serving platter and arrange the salad on top.
• Onion: I recommend using finely sliced white onion (which has a mild, sweet flavour).
• Replace half of the cantaloupe with cucumber or another melon variety (such as honey dew).
• Add a few slices of prosciutto.

TIP: If you choose to use additional ingredients you may also need to add a little more dressing.

Top tips

• You can cut the cantaloupe into wedges, smaller pieces or scoop out the flesh using a melon baller.
• Remove excess moisture from the feta and olives by patting them dry with a paper towel before adding into the salad.
• I don't usually add salt to this salad as it contains feta and olives, which are both salty, but you can season it according to taste.
• This fresh cantaloupe salad is best served immediately.

More savoury salads with fruit to try next

• Grapefruit Fennel Avocado Salad
• Vegetarian Pomelo Salad
• Balsamic Blueberry Salad

See also these other easy, delicious salad recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this easy cantaloupe salad recipe I'd love to know how it turns out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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