This refreshing Cucumber, Melon Salad with California Avocados is a great no-cook dish to enjoy with lunch or dinner. It’s crunchy, creamy, sweet and savoury all at the same time. This recipe is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission! All opinions are my own.

Cucumber Melon and California Avocado Salad

This gorgeous green salad is everything I crave during the warmer months and especially when California Avocados are in season. It’s the perfect balance of crunchy cucumber, Fresh,California Avocados, lightly sweet honeydew, rich vegan feta and fresh mint tossed with extra virgin olive oil , salt and pepper. It requires zero cooking and can also be made in advance for picnics, beach days and entertaining. From start to finish, it takes about 10 minutes to put together.

Salad Ingredients

To make this salad, I recommend sticking with cucumber and Fresh,California Avocados but you can work with your favourite melon of choice. I used honeydew to keep the green theme going and I used a melon baller, which is optional, but makes the salad visually pleasing and ensures even bites of each element. Here’s what you need:

• Ripe, Fresh California Avocado. You’ll want ripe avocado, but not too soft, as you’ll want to be able to melon ball it with ease.
• Persian Cucumber. I recommend Persian cucumbers because when sliced, they’re the perfect size to accompany our melon and avocado balls.
• Honeydew Melon. Or use cantaloupe or watermelon.
• Olive Oil. Use a high quality olive oil for dressing the salad.
• Vegan Feta. You can use any brand of store bought vegan feta, and this ingredient is optional if you don’t have access to one, but it does add a layer to the salad with the rich savoury flavour.
• Fresh Mint. For a little extra something.
• Salt. To taste, but be sure to toss the salad thoroughly while adjusting to taste.
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper. A generous amount. Fresh is best!

Why Choose California Avocados?

California Avocados are cultivated with dedication to quality and freshness, by about 3,000 growers, on approximately 50,000 acres in California from San Diego to Monterey. The Golden State’s terroir and coastal climate provide ideal growing conditions to produce these delectable avocados!

Locally grown California Avocados are picked at their peak resulting in fruit that is consistent in taste and texture. California Avocados are in season from spring to summer, so now is the perfect time to make dishes like this!

To ensure you’re enjoying locally grown California Avocados, just look for California on the label.

How to Make Cucumber Melon Salad

Prepare Salad Ingredients

To prepare our salad ingredients, we’re going to slice the honeydew melon in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then use a melon baller to scoop balls out of the flesh. We’ll do the same with our avocados, slicing in half, pitting and then scooping with a melon baller. To prep the cucumber, we’ll slice into circles, roughly ½” thick, or to your liking. Throw everything in a bowl big enough to mix in.

Toss with Dressing

Once the salad ingredients are prepped, we’ll drizzle the mixture with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, adjust to taste as needed, then top with crumbled vegan feta and fresh mint leaves.

Tips & FAQ

Substitution Suggestions

If you aren’t able to find store bought vegan feta, I recommend making a batch of my Vegan Ricotta and dropping little blobs of it onto the salad. As mentioned, you can use any melon variety you’d like and I highly suggest watermelon or cantaloupe in place of honeydew. You can also switch up the herbs and use tarragon, parsley and even basil in place of the mint. 

Serving Suggestions 

This dish is best served chilled, so either chill your ingredients before prepping, or give the salad some time in the fridge before you intend to eat. This is a delicious salad to accompany any main dish and can also be a great salad to enjoy family style.