Light, refreshing and delicious, this Cantaloupe Cucumber Salsa has all the beautiful flavors of summer. Amazing as a dip for chips and equally great over grilled meats or fish, it’s a like a party in your mouth!
A few days ago, I updated my all-time favorite watermelon salsa with a new set of photos and shared the recipe on Facebook with my food blogging buddies. Yesterday, one of the said food blogging buddies left a comment on the post which had me totally intrigued: I love fruit salsa in the summer! My go-to is cantaloupe but I like watermelon too! Today, you guessed it…I made cantaloupe salsa. Cantaloupe cucumber salsa to be exact.
I have my editorial calendar all mapped out for the next six months and actually had a few recipes already lined up for today’s cooking session but I was so excited about the prospect of a summery salsa on my lap, I pushed the plans aside. Not that they were not delicious plans as well but juicy cubes of cantaloupe tossed in tangy citrus? I was practically salivating.
And with a fresh bag of corn chips G picked up from our neighborhood Mexican grocery story sitting on our kitchen counter, there was only one way I wanted to spend my afternoon. Lounging in our backyard patio, dipping the rest of the day away in a bowl of fresh summer tastes.
As the images of cantaloupe salsa danced in my head, I googled for ideas and found this cucumber melon salsa on AllRecipes which sounded very promising. And would you believe it? For the first time in my food blogging career, I had all the ingredients and didn’t have to send G to the store make a special trip to the store. It’s like the cosmic stars aligned to make this cucumber melon salsa happen.
Hooray for life’s small blessings. I am sure G was as thankful as he was already readying himself to huff and puff about driving to the store when I started digging into our produce bin to check for tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, limes and what not.
I may or may not have heard a faint sigh of relief when he saw I had everything I needed. LOL. I have myself a saint.
With the way he polished off a generous portion of my salsa, though, I think he shouldn’t be whining about a short drive to the store. Seriously, the man basically wrestled me for the last tablespoonful! While I enjoyed my half with corn chips, he piled his share of the delicious loot on top of the grilled chicken he had for lunch. From the content look on our both our faces, it’s safe to surmise the cucumber melon salsa was awesome served both ways.
Another thing I love about this cantaloupe salsa, it’s “sturdier” than the other fruit salsas I make. The watermelon and kiwi-mango-strawberry versions are equally amazing but they tend to water down quickly. This cantaloupe cucumber salsa, however, keeps well for a good few hours and maintains it’s crisp texture longer. In fact, I like to refrigerate it for a few minutes before serving to cool and to allow the sweet, spicy and tangy flavors to meld beautifully.
Make your own batch today and please make sure to have corn (or pita) chips handy. You’ll need plenty. 🙂
Cantaloupe Cucumber Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 small cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and diced
- 4 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine cantaloupe, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to distribute. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 7 to 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Nutrition
Perfect, light and refreshing for any summer gathering. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
This looks so refreshing and delish! I’m heading to my parent’s house this weekend for some summer festivities, so I’ll be making this to bring along!
Coming Up Roses
Perfect summer salad! Colorful and beautiful!
Wow what a beautiful presentative. This cantaloupe salsa cucumber salad is perfect to service when you have guest. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Glenda 🙂
What a gorgeous salsa! I love the addition of the that fresh cucumber with the cantaloupe!
The cucumbers were a delicious addition, gave the salsa a delightful crunch 🙂
Loving your fruit salsas!! This one I’m especially excited to try – I’m sure the melon-cuke combo is divine!
I can’t get enough of them! I have a few more lined up to make in the coming days, I am taking advantage of summer’s bounty 🙂
What an interesting salsa, I don’t think I have ever seen cantouloupe used in one. Thanks for sharing, I will def give it a try!
How totally perfect for summer! So colorful and fresh
Yes, it’s perfect for summer when melons are at their best 🙂
This sounds like an amazing summer treat and it’s so colorful!
This looks amazing! SO fresh and perfect for summer – I really want to try it!
This looks delicious! I’ve never thought of combining the two flavors, but I bet it’s so refreshing and delicious for summertime! 🙂
This sounds like the perfect healthy and refreshing snack!
Yes, it’s a healthy treat you can enjoy without the guilt 🙂
Yummy! We made something a little similar last night with pineapple, instead! Delicious!
Watermelon I’ve seen, but cantaloupe? Now that is a new one to me for salsa! But I bet it compliments so many things! It is functionally a better idea, too.
This sounds so, so good! Definitely need to try it this summer!
This looks so fresh and tasty! I think I know what I’ll be trying out later today!
Yummy! your salsa absolutely festive the summer!
O this just screams summer freshness! Delish!
Yes, it does 🙂