Summer Melon Salad ~ this healthy and adorable checkerboard melon salad is gorgeous and so refreshing ~ and it’s always a huge hit! It’s easy to put together, I’ll take you through it step by step.
When you mix the sweet melon with the sharp bite of onion, feta, and lime, it becomes an incredibly refreshing and interesting salad. This sweet and savory combination has roots in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, and sometimes you’ll see it with black olives, tomatoes, or avocado. Occasionally I add some finely minced jalapeno pepper for a little kick. This is a healthy and super low calorie dish that has lots of flavor and great visual appeal, you can’t afford NOT to make it!
Summer is melon season ~ they’re cheap and plentiful and so juicy! There are so many varieties available today, too, even in your regular grocery store. I chose several different types of melon in a variety of colors for this pretty summer melon salad, and then simply cut them in even cubes, You can lay it out checkerboard style, or pile it all in a salad bowl. You can even stack up the layers ~ Rubik’s Cube style!
TIP: To cut melon into cubes most efficiently, the best way is to lop off a little from the top and bottom, and then cut the rind off by slicing straight down each side, like the photos below. Then slice the entire melon into whatever width you want your cubes to be. Then you can easily slice up your cubes.
I used watermelon, honeydew, and orange honeydew, but there are lots of varieties of melons out there, especially at farmers markets, so experiment and find your favorites.
TIP: When buying melon, choose ones that feel heavy for their size. Give it a thump with your fingers, it should have a hollow sound if it’s ready to eat. And finally, take a whiff, right at the ‘belly button’, where the stem was attached…a ripe melon should have a lovely scent.
If you’re loving ripe summer melon right now, here’s another recipe to try, my MELON BREAKFAST BOWLS are super fun!
Summer Melon Salad
Ingredients
- at least 3 different kinds of melon: I used seedless watermelon, honeydew, and orange honeydew, cut in bite sized cubes
- juice and zest of lime
- feta cheese crumbles
- thinly sliced red onion
- finely minced jalapeno pepper, optional
- fresh mint leaves
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Shortly before you want to serve the salad, toss your melon cubes in a bowl, or arrange them on individual plates in a checkerboard fashion. Top them with thin slices of red onion, lime zest, and feta crumbles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then squeeze lime juice over all.
Notes:
- You can prep your melon cubes ahead of time, just keep them well wrapped in the refrigerator.
Don’t forget to pin this juicy Summer Melon Salad!
This looks so fantastic. Can’t wait till next summer to try this with my own fresh fruits. I love how you cut the watermelon, looks like it makes it much easier to cut the cubes.
This is such fun, Ruthie ~ now all we have to do is get through winter first!
How absolutely beautiful!! The colors are amazing, and when you stack them so pretty – I almost (almost) wouldn’t be able to eat this! Sounds like a perfect hot weather light summer lunch!!
I love that slicing technique. It’s so simple…but I never would have known to do it that way.
love the checkerboard melons! such a pretty way to present a salad like this.