Cantaloupe Salad with Mozzarella

June 12, 2023
Last Updated: June 12, 2023
1 Comment
Recipes

Enjoy the refreshing and vibrant flavors of this cantaloupe salad, a perfect blend of juicy cantaloupe, crisp greens, mint, couscous and creamy mozzarella. This cantaloupe salad recipe comes together quickly and stores well.

cantaloupe mint salad with pineapple in white serving bowl

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Who loves a good green salad with cantaloupe? I know I do.

You see, cantaloupe salads embrace so much flavor. They pair beautifully with greens, other fruits, cheeses, grains and more.

Basically, add anything and everything you want to this cantaloupe mint salad and it’ll be a hit.

honey balsamic dressing over cantaloupe salad

I was recently looking for cantaloupe salad recipes for a birthday party we were attending, but nothing was resonating with me.

A cantaloupe salad with feta sounded delicious, but we only had mozzarella, so I had to put a unique spin on it.

This mango quinoa salad is a big hit, but I wanted something a little different and hearty.

I was aiming for a blend of savory, sweet and spicy.

And this cantaloupe mozzarella salad was just that – sassy and full of flavor.

bowl of cantaloupe with mint leaves next to it

Truthfully, I was inspired to add mint to this cantaloupe salad recipe after caring for my neighbor’s garden.

She had so much mint and offered me some, and I just love the taste of mint in everything, hence the addition to my famous strawberry fizz alcoholic drink.

I knew I was onto something with a cantaloupe mint salad so the idea grew.

Since we also pineapple on hand, I figured adding a spicy red onion and some savory mozzarella balls would all pair together nicely in this summer melon salad.

What You Need For Cantaloupe Salad with Mozzarella

Grab your ingredients – we’re about to make the most delicious cantaloupe salad recipe.

Cantaloupe – The star of the show, the cantaloupe makes this cantaloupe salad hydrating and sweet! Cantaloupe is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and several other micronutrients. They also provide hydration and fiber, and are low in calories, fat and sodium. One cup provides about 70% of your daily recommendation of Vitamin C!
Pineapple – You can leave this out, but it helps add more hydration and reduces the peppery taste of the arugula and red onion.
Red onion – Red onion pairs beautifully with the sweet cantaloupe and pineapple. It also helps bring out the peppery taste of the arugula.
Couscous – I used pearl couscous, but you could also substitute with another grain, like orzo, barley, or farro.
Mint – Reserve those mint leaves for the topping!
Arugula – You can really use any greens for the base of this green cantaloupe salad, but I love the peppery touch with arugula. A blend would work nicely too!
Mozzarella balls – Don’t we all love a salad with mozzarella balls? Other cheese that would work well include feta or creamy goat cheese!
Lime – Fresh lime juice adds a nice, tart accent to accentuate all the flavors.
Balsamic vinegar – The star for the dressing to pull everything together.
Honey – For the dressing!
Salt & pepper – The salt and pepper bring out all of the flavors – sweetness from the fruit, peppery flavors to balance the sweetness, and a spicy tangy flavor as well.

Cantaloupe salad with pineapple and red onion over bed of arugula greens in white salad bowl

We’re highlighting the delicious pineapple and cantaloupe, fun summer fruits that are also great for hydration, or making your own electrolyte drink.

The honey balsamic vinegar dressing is super simple and only requires four ingredients: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime, honey and salt/pepper to taste.

This cantaloupe mozzarella salad is all around awesome!

And using fresh mozzarella is highly recommended – there’s nothing like a fun, family-friendly salad with mozzarella balls.

Cantaloupe salad served atop arugula and greens in white serving bowl

How To Make Cantaloupe Mozzarella Salad

First, cook your couscous. This takes 5 minutes.

The most labor intensive part of this summer fruit salad is cutting up the fruit and red onion.

I tend to do this with the kids (kid friendly knives) because they typically enjoy it as we go.

However, one of my favorite simple meal prep tips is cutting fruit and veggies in advance to save time.

I like to do it as I’m packing kids lunches at night for the following day.

cut up cantaloupe, pineapple and mint in a bowl

Then, you’ll cook your cous cous and throw everything over a bed of arugula, spinach or your favorite greens.

Personally, I think arugula blends nicely with peppery red onion and cous cous, but really, any green will be tasty.

This mint cantaloupe salad is also finished with the perfect olive oil balsamic honey dressing to mesh everything together.

HOT TIP

I’ll usually just add the dressing to the salad as I enjoy it rather than all at once to prevent it from getting soggy.

And then it makes for great leftovers!

Pineapple mint cous cous salad served in white serving bowl with side of lime and mint

I love this salad recipe so much because it’s so flexible and forgiving and can really be customized to your liking.

What To Serve With Cantaloupe Salad

You could totally make this pineapple and cantaloupe salad recipe a complete meal by adding more couscous and a protein of your choice.

Here are some of our favorite proteins to pair it with for a main meal.

Chicken (blackened is delicious!) – Chicken is probably my favorite fruit pairing in a salad, like in this chicken and strawberry salad
Shrimp skewers
Salmon – We tend to do a lot of salmon on salads, like in this broccoli kale salad.
Tofu
Quinoa – Quinoa is a complete vegetarian protein, so you could complement the couscous with another grain! We love quinoa in this quinoa and sweet potato salad, too!

If you want to serve this arugula cantaloupe salad as a side dish, I love to serve it with a summer entree. Some of my favorites include:

Pineapple salad recipe with mozzaralla, red onion and cous cous

Recipe FAQ

Will cantaloupe soften after cutting?

To ripen a cantaloupe quicker, store it in a paper bag, and/or next to bananas, apples or other fruits that emit ethylene gas. Make sure to buy a cantaloupe that is softer when you push down, or if it is firm, allow a few days to ripen before using in this salad.

What else could you add to this cantaloupe salad?

So many options! Some of my favorites are cucumber, feta cheese, watermelon, pepita seeds, roasted or diced peppers, or chickpeas.

Are cantaloupe seeds safe to eat?

Yes, cantaloupe seeds are safe to eat, and very nutritious. You can season and roast them as you would pumpkin seeds!

How to Store

To store this salad, just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To take it with you to a BBQ, gathering, or cookout, just serve in the Tupperware container or a glass serving bowl. , I’ll add the honey olive oil dressing just as I sit down to enjoy it, rather than adding it all at once. This prevents the salad from being soggy and makes leftovers a breeze.

Cantaloupe Mozzarella salad with couscous and arugula closeup

This salad with cantaloupe is perfect for your summer gatherings, cookouts, barbecues, and pool days.

I know it will become a friend and family favorite!

Try These Other Tasty Summer Recipes!

Yield: 6 servings

Cantaloupe Salad with Mozzarella

This cantaloupe salad with mint, pineapple and cous cous is a light, colorful and flavorful summer side salad. Plus, this salad with cantaloupe and pineapple meshes perfectly with creamy mozzarella and a light olive oil dressing for a nutritious mint fruit salad.

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked pearled cous cous
1 medium cantaloupe, diced
1 medium pineapple, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cups arugula
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (or cheese of choice)
handful of mint leaves
3-4 lime wedges for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook couscous according to directions.
While couscous is cooking, slice your cantaloupe, pineapple and red onion.
Mix your dressing, mixing 2 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar. You can sweeten as needed with the honey if you choose not to follow the above recommendations.
Add sliced cantaloupe, pineapple, red onion to large bowl and mix with arugula. Top with cous cous, pearled mozzarella and mint leaves. Garnish with limes or lime juice, as desired.

Notes

To store, keep in tight glass tupperware container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I like to save the dressing for when I'm eating it, rather than pouring it on at once, to avoid it getting soggy.

Make This?

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What’s your favorite type of summer salad?

Sarah Schlichter is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s in Public Health Nutrition. She specializes in family nutrition, sports nutrition and intuitive eating. She also co-hosts the podcast, Nail Your Nutrition.