Whether tossed with herbs or blended into a refreshing cocktail, a slice of melon is one of summer's purest pleasures. When in season, juicy cantaloupe is one of our favorite melons. We've collected our favorite cantaloupe recipes.
Cantaloupe's refreshing sweetness makes it great for cutting richer ingredients. With salty prosciutto, it's a lovely accompaniment for fried wedges of Camembert cheese.
Cantaloupe can also stand up as the star of a dish. For a summery salad, try marinating the melon in honey and tossing it with basil and sea salt. Crushed black peppercorns complement the sweetness and add complexity.
Cantaloupe is great for mixing into cocktails. Serve a cocktail of cantaloupe juice, tequila, and lime in glasses rimmed with chile powder, sugar, and salt for a drink reminiscent of a classic Mexican street snack. Or take cantaloupe seeds, which are usually discarded, and grind them up to make a refreshing horchata.
Find these dishes and more in our collection of our favorite cantaloupe recipes.
Persian Cantaloupe Drink
Test kitchen director Farideh Sadeghin got the recipe for this refreshing melon drink from her Iranian-born father, who makes it by grating fresh cantaloupe and combining it with water, sugar, and fresh mint. You can add a little gin for a cooling summer cocktail. Get the recipe for Persian Cantaloupe Drink »
Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce
In this elegant dessert, cantaloupe is grilled until it caramelizes and is then dressed with agrodolce, a sour-sweet Italian sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. Get the recipe for Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce »
Melon Butter
Like apple butter, melons can be cooked down to a jammy, spreadable condiment, as in this recipe from chef Silvia Baldini of Strawberry and Sage. Spread it on toast tomorrow morning or save it (via proper canning technique) for a pork chop in the dead of winter.
Cantaloupe is marinated in honey and spices then tossed with basil and sea salt in this refreshing summer salad.
Melon au Porto
The simple pairing of cantaloupe and port could be found on the menu of any classic mid-century French restaurant. The best melon to use is the French Charentais, which is small and slightly acidic (though still sweet), but it’s just as good with a musk or hand melon or cantaloupe.
The Borderline Escape
One of the most popular snacks on the streets of Mexico is fresh fruit dusted with chile powder. The flavors and aromas of that snack are brought back in this tequila-based drink. Get the recipe for The Borderline Escape »
Horchata de Melón (Cantaloupe Seed Drink)
Cantaloupe seeds, usually discarded, make a refreshing drink when ground with water. Cubes of cantaloupe are a great garnish.
Thandai
Indian thandai, literally translated as ‘something that cools’, is a sweet, creamy milk drink flavored with nuts and mixed with spices such as cardamom, fennel, rose petals, and poppy seeds. On Holi, the Indian festival of colors, the refreshment is traditionally served with the addition of bhaang (a derivative of marijuana). Here we’ve substituted gin instead, which accentuates the nutty, warmly-spiced, floral flavors in thandai perfectly.
Keep Reading
Continue to Next Story
