Cucumber Melon Salad is a colourful, refreshing salad. It’s perfect with grilled meats or fish, and great for summer picnics and potlucks.
Cucumber Ribbons
As cucumbers start to come on in the garden, I’m always trying to come up with new ways to use them. For this salad, I used a spiralizer to make cucumber “ribbons”. I also used a spiralizer to make another cucumber salad: Sunomono Salad. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can also use a vegetable peeler, or, simply slice the cucumbers.
Types of Cucumbers for Salads
There are many different varieties of cucumbers, even one that looks like a lemon! Check out some of them here: Cucumber Varieties However, they all come under two categories: fresh eating cucumbers, and pickling cucumbers. In my garden I have both, and I grow long English cucumbers for fresh eating. I like them for salads like this one, because they are seedless, and you can eat the skin, so you don’t need to peel them.
Which Melons to Use
There are three types of melon in this recipe: watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. You can choose to use just one or two and it will still be delicious, but I like the variety of colours and flavours with all three.
Chill the Salad Ingredients
Because this salad needs to be served cold, be sure to chill the cucumber and melons before tossing them together. You can also chill the finished salad once you have put it together. I find it tastes best when eaten immediately, but you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Looking for more summer salads? Try Watermelon Salad with Jalapeno and Bacon, or Strawberry Kale Salad, or Cherry Walnut Couscous Salad.
How to Make Cucumber Melon Salad
Cucumber Melon Salad with three melons is colourful and delicious, and perfect for summer picnics.
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 red onion small, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 English cucumber unpeeled
- I cantaloupe scooped into balls
- 1 honeydew melon scooped into balls
- 1/2 seedless watermelon small
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp pickling liquid from the pickled onions
- sea salt to taste
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Season the onion slices with salt & pepper
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Combine the vinegar and sugar in a microwave safe bowl
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Microwave 1 minute, stir to dissolve sugar & pour over the onion slices to cover.
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Refrigerate until ready to use
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Drain the pickled onions, reserving 2 tbsp of the liquid
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Combine cucumber ribbons, and melon balls, pickled onions, and feta in a large bowl.
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whisk together olive oil and pickling liquid. Pour over salad and toss gently
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Sprinkle with sea salt, and serve immediately
The salad should be served quite soon after preparing, because the more it sits, the more juices will accumulate from the melon.
The melon balls combined should be about 5 cups.
This salad is vegan if you omit the feta cheese
Oh, how I love this cool summer salad! It is so colorful and refreshing, I can almost imagine popping a few of those melons and cucumber in my mouth right now! Your pictures do full justice to the recipe too.
Hi Saima! Thank you so much, and please do make this salad. It’s so perfect for summer.
What a refreshing summer salad! Loved all the flavors
Hi Noelle! So happy you loved it. It really is a refreshing salad!
I don’t like onions in salad, that’s why I use mild shallots a lot. But your idea of pickling onion may change my mind! I love the combination of cucumber and melon, that’s the summer dish we all want on a hot day..
Hi Alina, I think the pickled red onion added another great flavour element to this salad, but you could leave it out or use shallots, too.
Colorful, healthy and amazing combinations. Love to have some for a party platter.
Hi Veena! You’re right, this is a great salad to have out for a party.
This right here is perfect summer food! Just a really nice combination, but still a beautifully thought out recipe. Awesome job!
Thanks so much, Nicolas! I hope you enjoy it.
I love how easy and simple this is but I love flavors of it! Delicious!
Suzy, I’m so happy that you loved it! It’s such a great salad for summer. Enjoy!
Simple, beautiful and I can only imagine a very refreshing salad! So beautiful for the summer season!
Hey Jessica, I hope you give it a try this summer! It’s a truly refreshing an delicious salad!
This looks like the perfect salad to devour with the onset of hot weather! I can just imagine how refreshing it is!
Yes, it is, Lisa! I hope you give it a try!
Like summer on a plate! Love summer salads like this – super easy to whip up and super refreshing! I could eat this one all summer long and never tire of it 🙂 Delish, Colleen!
Dawn summer on a plate is a perfect description. I know you’re going to love it! Cheers.
So colorful and refreshing on a summer day! I think I am the only one on Earth that cannot stand cucumbers, but Loreto and our family/friends would simply love it.
Hi, Nicotta, if you don’t like cucumbers, then wrong salad for you, haha. But, I hope Loreto enjoys it 🙂
What a beautifully colourful and fresh looking salad! I’ll be pinning this!
Thanks for pinning, Nina. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
This salad is the bomb! So refreshing, the perfect side with grilled steak or chicken, thanks 😋
Sabrina, exactly! You are welcome.
Great tips here!! Chilling the veggies first was a great one. And I loved the cucumber ribbons!! Thanks Colleen for sharing. 🙂
You’re so welcome Sharon!