The Mint and Melon Salad recipe I have for you today is utterly delicious in its simplicity. It takes just 10 minutes, has only 4 ingredients and is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free!

mint melon salad in a serving bowl

I originally shared this recipe on August 8, 2014. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

Why We Love This Recipe For Watermelon and Mint Salad

I’m sure you’ve heard of the acronym KISS—Keep it simple, stupid. Well, I had to keep reminding myself of this while I was working on this recipe. I had to almost literally slap my own hand as I reached for just one more ingredient to add to this melon salad.

But I’m telling you right now I’m so happy that I resisted. This minty melon salad is perfect. The honey and lemon juice create an amazingly light, sweet and tart dressing that pairs so well with the melon.  Then the mint adds just the right amount of zing, freshness, color and texture. 

This fruit salad would be absolutely lovely served at your next brunch. It would also serve as a great ending to a fun cook-out on a warm summer night, or even a perfect afternoon snack.

This melon salad was a great reminder for me that when you’re making food with fresh local ingredients at their peak of freshness you don’t need to over complicate things. Let them shine in their simplicity. Just sit back and KISS!

mint melon salad on a plate

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Honey

Melon is already fairly sweet in its simplicity, so you really don’t need too much. Taste the melon beforehand and if you feel like the melon you chose is already really sweet, you can even use less honey than what I did. This might depend on how in season the melon is that you’re buying, and how ripe it is.

Lemon juice

Any type of citrus juice is wonderful on melon. I used fresh lemon juice, but if you only have pre-squeezed lemon juice that’s fine too. You can also use lime juice (if you must).

Melon cubes

I did decide to use a mix of melons (watermelon, cantaloupe and honey dew) because I thought the different colors would make it even prettier. And I wasn’t wrong. After I tossed it and put it in the bowl it was a thing of glory.  Simple, stunning and yummy. What more can you ask for?

Fresh mint

Fresh mint can usually be found at most grocery stores in the produce section. I’d recommend seeing if you can find organic mint to avoid any pesticides, but any mint is great. If you can only find dried mint, you can replace the ¼ cup chopped fresh mint with 1 tablespoon dried mint.

Step by Step Instructions to Make This Melon Salad

Step 1: Cut melon & make dressing

Making a melon salad takes very little time, and all the steps are really easy. You’ll first need to cube the melon (you can use just one type of melon, or a variety). Leave the melon cubes fairly large, and don’t worry about them all being perfectly even in size. This is home cooking, after all!

Once you’ve cubed the melon, stir together equal parts honey and lemon juice in a bowl.

Step 2: Assemble

Add in the melon and mint leaves and stir until the melon is evenly coated in the honey mixture. You can easily double this recipe for a larger crowd, and this fruit salad will keep well outside at a barbecue or potluck.

melon salad in a bowl

FAQs and Expert Tips

How to make this cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon salad ahead of time:

You can make this salad a day ahead and store it in the fridge. If possible, I recommend draining off some of the melon juice before serving. For an extra punch of minty flavor, sprinkle fresh mint on top of this melon salad each time you dole out another serving. (The mint that’s left on the salad will wilt a bit in the fridge, but it’s perfectly fine to eat). If you want to prep it further in advance (up to 3 days), just cut the melons, and store them in three separate containers. The dressing can be made in a jar. When you are ready to serve toss them all together with freshly chopped mint.

How can you tell if a melon is ripe and sweet?

The best indicator of whether a melon is ripe or not is its color. Both watermelons, cantaloupes and honeydews should be bright in color and smell sweet (but not too strongly). Avoid choosing melons that are duller looking and have brown spots as they are most likely overripe.

What’s the best month to buy watermelon?

The best time to buy watermelon and most other melons are between the months of May and September. They will taste fine no matter the month, but buying the melons (and making this recipe) within those months will ensure you get the best tasting salad you can get!

Additional Easy Brunch Recipes 

  • I can guarantee this Easy Veggie Quiche recipe will be the star of your next brunch table!
  • These Whole-Wheat Crepes are so easy to make at home and can be filled with a wide variety of sweet or savory fillings.
  • This Healthy French Toast Casserole is a deliciously easy breakfast, ready in under 30 minutes!
  • My Morning Glory Muffin recipe is going to be your new favorite breakfast muffin to make. It is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and made with whole-wheat flour. 

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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The 4 ingredient Melon and Mint Salad recipe I have for you today is utterly delicious in its simplicity. It takes just 10 minutes and is totally gluten free and dairy free! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

Melon Mint Salad


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5 from 2 reviews

Description

The 4-ingredient Mint and Melon Salad recipe I have for you today is utterly delicious in its simplicity. It takes just 10 minutes and is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 6 cups melon cubes
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Instructions

  1. Stir honey and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
  2. Add melon and mint and stir to coat.

Notes

Make Ahead:

You can make this salad a day ahead and store it in the fridge. If possible, I recommend draining off some of the melon juice before serving. For an extra punch of minty flavor, sprinkle fresh mint on top of this melon salad each time you dole out another serving. (The mint that’s left on the salad will wilt a bit in the fridge, but it’s perfectly fine to eat). If you want to prep it further in advance (up to 3 days), just cut the melons, and store them in three separate containers. The dressing can be made in a jar. When you are ready to serve toss them all together with freshly chopped mint.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Mixed
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 108.12 kcal
  • Sugar: 25.27 g
  • Sodium: 43.22 mg
  • Fat: 0.53 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.14 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.47 g
  • Fiber: 2.54 g
  • Protein: 2.32 g