• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • All Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Salads
    • Soup and Stew
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Cookies
    • Pasta
    • Breads
    • Beverages
    • Grilling
    • Seasonings
    • Asian Inspirations
    • Latin Flavors
    • Air Fryer
    • Instant Pot
    • Crockpot
    • Recipe Collections
  • IP Calculator
  • SV Chart
  • Subscribe

Smells Like Delish

menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Salads
    • Soup and Stew
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Cookies
    • Pasta
    • Breads
    • Beverages
    • Grilling
    • Seasonings
    • Asian Inspirations
    • Latin Flavors
    • Air Fryer
    • Instant Pot
    • Crockpot
    • Recipe Collections
  • IP Calculator
  • SV Chart
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Salads
    • Soup and Stew
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Cookies
    • Pasta
    • Breads
    • Beverages
    • Grilling
    • Seasonings
    • Asian Inspirations
    • Latin Flavors
    • Air Fryer
    • Instant Pot
    • Crockpot
    • Recipe Collections
  • IP Calculator
  • SV Chart
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Salads

Published: Jun 16, 2022 · Modified: Apr 23, 2023 by Kelly Bloom · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Mint Cantaloupe Salad

Jump to Recipe

This honeydew and cantaloupe salad is light and satisfying, making it perfect for any hot day. The sweetness of the honeydew & cantaloupe pairs perfectly with the minty cardamom dressing.

white ruffle edged salad bowl with honey dew and cantaloupe salad dressed with mint.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy refreshing salads. This cantaloupe fruit salad is a great way to use them up, and it's healthy too!

Whether you’re looking for a quick and simple lunch or a delicious side dish for your next barbecue, this easy honeydew and cantaloupe melon salad recipe is sure to please!

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • When Is A Cantaloupe Ripe?
  • How To Make This Cantaloupe Salad
  • Serving suggestions
  • Related Recipes
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Top Tips
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
  • Connect with Smells Like Delish!
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Things you need to make this honeydew and cantaloupe salad recipe:

  • Cantaloupe melon - Or other orange summer melon
  • Honeydew - Or sprite melon.
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Cardamom seeds - crushed.
  • Sugar
Clear glass bowl of cut melon, fresh mint sprigs, white mortar & pestle with seeds inside, a small clear bowl of sugar

Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

When Is A Cantaloupe Ripe?

This is a question that many ask. The answer, unfortunately, is not always simple. Generally speaking, honeydew and cantaloupe melons will be ripe when they are soft and yield to pressure, and have a sweet, fragrant aroma.

Gently push on the end of the melon opposite from the stem. If there is a slight give, the melon is probably ripe. And don't forget to sniff - a ripe cantaloupe should smell fragrant, and almost perfumy.

How To Make This Cantaloupe Salad

This melon salad recipe uses a fresh mint & cardamom dressing, but you can use whatever you like. Enjoy!

Purchase fresh uncut honeydew and cantaloupe melons, fresh mint, sugar, and some green cardamom pods (or decorticated cardamom - meaning already removed from the papery pods). Don't use ground cardamom though.

Clear glass bowl of fruit, fresh mint sprigs, white mortar & pestle with seeds inside.

Cut The Melons Into Cubes or Balls

  1. Crush the cardamom seeds with the mortar & pestle. The aroma from freshly crushed cardamom seeds is much stronger than ground cardamom. Cardamom is so aromatic it's heady. You only need about ¼ teaspoon of seeds!
clear glass bowl with cubed cantaloupe and honeydew with green napkin nearby.
  1. Cut and cube both the cantaloupe and the honeydew melons. Chunks about 1 ½" is just about right.
herb mincing scissors cutting fresh mint.
  1. Snip your fresh mint leaves with the mincing scissors, so you have a chiffonade.

Prepare The Dressing And Toss The Salad

clear bowl with cut honeydew and cantaloupe cubes, minced mint, and seasonings.
  1. Add the mint to the bowl of honeydew and cantaloupe salad.
clear bowl with orange and green cubed melons.
  1. Toss with the sugar, chopped mint, and cardamom salad dressing.

Serving suggestions

This fresh honeydew and cantaloupe fruit salad is a perfect addition to a brunch or Holiday buffet. It's bursting with summer flavors, and is such a change of pace. Many will ask you what the flavors are, as they may not be familiar with cardamom.

This honeydew and cantaloupe salad recipe is perfect for a buffet or weekend brunch. Serve with our Fresh Vegetable Lumpia, or Double Smoked Ham also! You can also serve it with our Starbucks Blueberry Scones, Matcha Scones or Raspberry Pancakes for a perfect Continental breakfast!

white ruffle edged salad bowl with fruit and garnished with herbs.

Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Related Recipes

  • Biryani Raita
  • Chicken Salad Wraps
  • Summer Berry Salad
  • Chicken Salad without Celery
  • Rhodes Monkey Bread

Substitutions

If your area doesn't have flavorful melons, you can also use a frozen melon blend. You can often find a melon medley or melon & fruit blend from the freezer case also.

Variations

Instead of cubing the melons (which is fast and unfussy), consider using a melon baller to make perfect little melon balls for this salad. That just takes it up a notch!

Try this same recipe with watermelon and some basil leaves cut into a chiffonade also.

Equipment

A melon baller is great to have when you want pretty balls of cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and even cooked vegetables. You can even use it to measure out and help form meatballs!

  • mortar & pestle for crushing cardamom seeds
  • mincing scissors for herbs
  • optional: melon baller

A small mortar & pestle is ideal to have on hand when using spices still in the seed form. The aroma is more powerful from freshly crushed cardamom seeds than the ground powder. That is because the essential oils in the seeds have not evaporated.

If you use a lot of fresh herbs, you will love the time these mincing scissors save. The multiple blades cut like regular scissors. They are SHARP. You can cut through 4 - 6 mint or basil leaves to make a chiffonade with just a couple of snips!

Top Tips

  • A super time saver is to buy the melon already cut up from the produce department at your grocery store.
  • Check your melons for ripeness. You can let it sit out on a cool counter for an extra day or two to ripen more also.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this cantaloupe fruit salad keep?

It holds up for several days covered in the refrigerator. The mint leaves will wilt after the first day, but you can always garnish with some fresh mint leaves.

Is this cantaloupe fruit salad safe to leave out on a buffet table for extended time?

Yes, this melon salad has no ingredients that can go off even in the heat if left out for guests during a picnic or outdoor barbecue event.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love

  • wide mouth spice storage jar on it's side spilling out dry turkey rub seasoning blend.
    Smoked Turkey Rub
  • pineapple mango salsa.
    33 Most Popular Condiments For Cookouts
  • barbeque ribs on white paper with orange basting brush with barbecue sauce on it
    22 Secret Grill Master Traeger Recipes
  • serving plate with corn on the cob and sliced beef.
    Balsamic Grilled Sirloin Steak

Connect with Smells Like Delish!

  • Instagram
  • Yummly
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

📖 Recipe

white ruffle edged salad bowl with melon salad with mint and silver fork and green napkin
Print Recipe SaveSaved!
5 from 2 votes

Cantaloupe Salad

This honeydew and cantaloupe salad is light and satisfying, making it perfect for any hot day. The sweetness of the honeydew & cantaloupe pairs perfectly with the minty cardamom dressing.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
chilling1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 86kcal
Author: Kelly Bloom

Equipment

  • 1 mincing scissors
  • 1 mortar & pestle
  • 1 melon baller

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cubed cantaloupe melon
  • 4 cups cubed honeydew melon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds (or 4 - 5 pods, emptied)
  • 8 fresh mint leaves cup in strips
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cut, peel, seed, and cube your melons into 1 - 1 ½" chunks, or purchase already chunked. Using the mortar & pestle, crush the cardamom seeds. Discard any papery green or white pod shells if you bought in the pod.
    4 cups cubed cantaloupe melon, 4 cups cubed honeydew melon, ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • Toss together the cantaloupe, honeydew, sugar, minced mint leaves, and crushed cardamom seeds in a large bowl. Stir gently until melon is evenly coated.
    4 cups cubed cantaloupe melon, 4 cups cubed honeydew melon, 1 tablespoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds, 8 fresh mint leaves
  • Cover with wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the cantaloupe release juice and blend with the cardamom dressing.
  • Remove from refrigerator. Remove wrap, sprinkle on a little more minced mint and toss. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • A super time saver is to buy the melon already cut up from the produce department at your grocery store.
  • Check your melon for ripeness. You can let it sit out on a cool counter for an extra day or two to ripen more also.

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 3721IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword : cantaloupe salad, melon salad, summer melon, summer salad, when cantaloupe ripe

More Salad Recipes

  • pouring salad dressing on a salad.
    Warm Brussel Sprout Salad w Maple Dressing
  • blueberry kale crunch salad in a bowl with feta cheese crumbled on top.
    Blueberry Kale Crunch Salad
  • Serving bowl of wild rice salad on a white background with apples and olive oil nearby.
    Cold Wild Rice Apple Salad
  • cranberry pecan chicken salad in pita pockets on a plate with a dill pickle.
    Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Author photo for Kelly Bloom

Hi, I'm Kelly! and I have a love affair with herbs & spices! Here at Smells Like Delish, I'm all about creating food that has three aspects: flavor, aroma, and ease of preparation - to create satisfying fare!

More about me →

Grilling

  • platter of grilled Thai pork skewers (moo ping) with cilantro garnish and spicy peanut dipping sauce.
    Moo Ping (Thai Pork Skewers)
  • Satay grilled chicken quarters on serving platter with peanut sauce nearby.
    Satay Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters
  • BBQ smoked meatloaf on a platter, sliced.
    Traeger Pineapple BBQ Smoked Meatloaf
  • Weck canning jar filled with pineapple barbecue sauce.
    Pineapple BBQ Sauce
See more Grilling →

Trending

  • cracker barrel chicken and dumplings in a bowl.
    Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
  • cut loaf of herb bread on cutting board.
    Twisted Garlic Herb Bread
  • plate of salmon and asparagus on a white background.
    Air Fryer Salmon and Asparagus
  • white platter of bbq boneless pork ribs with asparagus on white plate.
    Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs
See more Reader Favorites →

Recent Recipes

  • cast iron chicken pot pie with biscuits on top.
    Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie
  • Bolognese sauce cooking in a slow cooker with glass lid lifted off. Perfect for Crocktober Fest.
    31 Crocktober Fix and Forget Recipes
  • bowl of chicken fideo soup garnished with parsley, thyme, and parmesan cheese.
    Chicken Fideo Soup (Sopa de Fideos con Pollo)
  • keto spinach artichoke dip in a bowl surrounded by crackers.
    No Mayo Spinach Artichoke Dip
See more All-Recipes Index →

Desserts

  • two blueberry lemon bars stacked on a plate.
    Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake Bars
  • plate of chocolate no bake preacher cookies.
    Preacher Cookies (Cow Chip Cookies)
  • baked apples with walnuts and cranberries.
    Crockpot Cranberry Stuffed Apples
  • Cinnamon buttercream on an apple spice cupcake.
    Apple Cider Cupcakes
See more Desserts →

Salads

  • Panera's strawberry poppy seed salad.
    Strawberry Poppyseed Salad (Panera)
  • Mexican pickled carrots next to guacamole topped tacos.
    Mexican Quick Pickled Carrots
  • old fashioned pickled beets in a mason jar.
    Old Fashioned Refrigerator Pickled Beets
  • serving bowl of no mayonnaise coleslaw, Amish style.
    Amish Coleslaw (Old Fashioned Coleslaw)
See more Salads →

Footer

↑ back to top

ABOUT

  • Home
  • About Kelly
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Newsletter
  • Web Stories

RECIPES

  • Holiday Recipes
  • Casseroles
  • One Pot Meals
  • Sheet Pan Meals
  • Condiments
  • Charcuterie
  • Pantry & Preserving
  • Recipe Collections

TOOLS & TIPS

  • Reader Fav's
  • Cheap Meals Ideas
  • Cooking Basics
  • Diet Friendly
  • Seasonings
  • Shop Our Kitchen
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Mastodon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Smells Like Delish · All Right Reserved ·
2850 Northwest Bucklin Hill Rd. Silverdale, WA 98383 · Sitemap