This melon and avocado salad requires nothing more than a cutting board, a knife, and a glass of chilled wine. So simple. So satisfying. And though the ingredients may seem unconventional, it tastes so intuitive you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it before.–Angie Zoobkoff
Melon and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
For the melon and avocado salad
- 8 ounces peeled watermelon, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 8 ounces peeled cantaloupe, Charentais, or honeydew melon, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) chunks
- 1 small Persian or Lebanese cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) chunks (or 1/2 regular cucumber)
- 1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces feta cheese, cut or crumbled into 1/2-inch (12-mm) chunks (or substitute a firm goat cheese)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
- 4 pita breads, grilled or heated in a grill pan (optional)
For the lemon and mint vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Several mint leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Make the melon and avocado salad
- In a large bowl, toss together the watermelon, cantaloupe melon, avocado, cucumber, scallions, feta, and seeds.
Make the lemon and mint vinaigrette
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and mint until well blended. Pour over the watermelon mixture and toss gently together.
- Sprinkle the mint over the salad and divide it among plates. Serve with the griddled pita breads, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is a wonderful summer salad. The watermelon and cantaloupe, in combination with the feta cheese, made a light and refreshing salad. The sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds add a subtle crunchiness.
I made the pita bread but didn’t feel that it was necessary.
I really love watermelon salad so when I saw that this salad also had cantaloupe and avocado in it I couldn’t wait to try it and it didn’t disappoint. It was the perfect salad for a hot evening.
I really liked the combination of the salad however I wasn’t a fan of the pumpkin seeds, not because of the flavour as I thought the seeds went well but more because of the texture, they seeds to be too big against the soft texture of the salad. Next time I would coarsely chop the toasted pumpkin seeds then add them to the salad as the smaller pieces would go a bit better and still have the nice flavor.
Perfect recipe for right now! I wanted something refreshing on a hot day and this was perfect. I knew that I liked watermelon and feta salad so I thought this would probably be good. First it is so super easy and all the ingredients are easy to find in the regular produce section. The finished product is really pretty with all the bright colors. The flavors of everything together is perfect. The seeds add just the right amount of crunch.
This would be a great dish alone for a lighter meal or it would go great as a side with grilled meats.
This came together really quickly and tasted very good. It’s a beautiful dish and definitely just right for summer. I’m not sure I could eat this as a straight dinner dish. Maybe with adding some leafy greens. It has the feel of a side dish.
I think this could be served without the feta.
“Summer in a bowl” is how I would describe this scrumptious salad. We ate it with our senses and loved the combinations of colors, textures, and flavors. The cantaloupe and feta duo was especially “magical,” to quote my guest.
I enjoyed preparing it, too—so very fulfilling to see seasonal ingredients spread out on my kitchen counter. The salty feta was so wonderful, instead of cubing it, I would crumble it next time so that it’s in every bite. If you plan to make it, remember that the most critical step is not in the recipe: make sure your cantaloupe and avocado are at their peak of ripeness. (Mine were still firm, so I placed them together in a brown bag, folded the top, and left the bag on the kitchen counter for 2 days.)
Gardeners out there—do go ahead and use different types of mint if you’d like. I used mojito mint and apple mint from my garden.
This is a refreshing salad with a nice mix of flavors and textures…sweet, salty, savory, crispy, smooth, crunchy. I made this for dinner and ate about half of the salad myself. The rest was my lunch the next day. The salad is best the day it is made but was still a refreshing and satisfying lunch.
What a refreshing salad! A great twist on the watermelon and feta salad.The balance of flavors and textures really made this simple dish taste very complex. The saltiness of the feta balances the sweetness of the melons and the cumbers and nuts added a great crunch.
The preparation for the salad was very straightforward with minimal technique needed, so it’s a great recipe for the cooking-averse.
I tried to chop all of the melons, avocado, and cucumber into roughly the same size of 1-inch cubes.
I think 4 servings is accurate for a decent portion. If serving this as a side at a BBQ or picnic, it could easily accommodate 5 to 6 people. I used pre-cut cantaloupe, so I didn’t use the juice for the salad dressing.
Highly recommended recipe for summer when watermelon and cantaloupe are in season.
This was a fun recipe to shop for at the farmers market—the melon, cucumber, scallions, feta, and mint were all purchased there.
It all started when I spotted a Tropical Passport melon, akin to a honeydew. That led me to make a variation with goat feta, combining the idea of goat cheese suggested as an alternate with the feta of the original version. I also used an Armenian cucumber, which I read later is actually a melon, though it looks and tastes like a cucumber. I don’t know about the original version, but these variations in tandem were lovely and perfect for a farmers market fresh salad at the peak of the season here in the midwest.
