Salted Melon Salad With Jalapeños and Feta
Originally published by Bon Appetit on May 21st, 2024
Written BySHILPA USKOKOVIC
Photograph By Peden + Munk, Food Styling By Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling By Ceci Garcia
Picking a perfectly ripe summer melon is like folding a fitted sheet—forever a struggle. Here’s a salad that can save even the most mediocre specimen. A simple combination of sharp shallot and hot green chile generously dressed with lemon, olive oil, and salt will transform that subpar fruit into something juicy and joy-inducing. Salty crumbles of feta help too. Instead of cantaloupe, try honeydew, Hami melon, or even ripe papaya or mango, which will also take brilliantly to this treatment.
Recipe information
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TOTAL TIME
25 minutes
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YIELD
4 servings
Ingredients
1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings
1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ small cantaloupe (about 1½ lb.), rind and seeds removed, cut into 3×1″ pieces
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 oz. feta, broken into large pieces
Preparation
Step 1
Toss 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, 1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds, and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit 5–15 minutes to lightly pickle.
Step 2
Add ½ small cantaloupe (about 1½ lb.), rind and seeds removed, cut into 3×1″ pieces, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to shallot mixture and toss to combine. Let sit 5–10 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer salad to a large shallow bowl or platter and top with 6 oz. feta, broken into large pieces. Drizzle more oil over and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
