Cantaloupe Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts and Mint

Cooling, minty, and refreshlingly sweet, this cantaloupe arugula salad hits all the flavor profiles and is perfect for summer!

Not going to lie, I’m not a huge fan of cantaloupe. But when I heard myself “eat your colors” while giving a nutrition class at Brookdale last week, I realized that I needed to give it a second chance. It turns out, much to my surprise, that I don’t like it that much on its own but I LOVE it in a salad paired with other flavors. And that’s how this salad came to be.

I want to give a small nod to the ever popular melon balls from the 1980’s (or was it the 90’s?). Recently I found my melon baller and got to work because (1) I am a child of the 80’s and (2), they’re so much much fun to eat in a round smooth cut. Texture, it turns out, definitely matters.

Benefits of canteloupe

It turns out that cantaloupe is quite good for you (well, we knew that but didn’t know exactly why, right?)

1. It’s high in water and very hydrating on hot summer days
2. It contains carotenoids, which give it the orange color, contains potassium, fiber, vitamin C and A (good for eye health), and has zero fat and cholesterol.
3. Cantaloupe is 90% water, much like a watermelon, which gives it a 4 on the glycemic load scale.
4. You can eat the seeds! Toast them and add to yogurt or a salad, or add them to a smoothie.

Perfect Pairing

The reason I love this salad is because it has a little bit of everything

Sweet: cantaloupe

Astringent: arugula

Pungent: red onion

Sour: lemon

Saltiness from salt

Fresh and cooling: mint

And if you remember, Ayurveda reminds us to add as many of the culinary tastes in a meal as we can to be fulfilled and satisfied. This salad hits the mark for me.