September may be right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean that you have to trade in your beloved summer produce for pumpkin spice lattes EVERYTHING quite yet. Keep the summer going with this light and refreshing Cantaloupe & Feta Bruschetta. Bursting with sweet, juicy cantaloupe, salty feta, crisp red onion, and savory basil and served on lightly toasted baguette, it’s the perfect dish for your end-of-summer gatherings!
In all honesty, I hadn’t planned on sharing a cantaloupe recipe at the end of August. But when I found myself carrying my new 8 lb 7 oz bundle of joy home from the Farmer’s Market last weekend, I knew it was time to get creative. Thankfully, I just so happened to have a potluck to attend yesterday that called for an appetizer or snack to share… So you better believe I wasn’t about to pass on the opportunity to get rid of share some of the goods.
Since fruit salsas seem to be all the rage lately, I figured I should have no trouble finding a simple recipe for a cantaloupe appetizer, right? Wrong. While there is certainly no shortage of savory watermelon, peach or berry recipes floating around the internet, the same cannot be said for cantaloupe. Not to mention, most of the recipes that I did come across paired the sweet melon with salty prosciutto (a delicious combo, by the way, but not necessarily the vegetarian-friendly dish I was going for).
That being said, I really didn’t know what to expect when I set out to make this bruschetta. But what I did know was that the shortage of existing recipes definitely didn’t leave me feeling super optimistic about my projected outcomes. After all, if it’s not on Google yet, there MUST be a reason, right?
Wrong again. I’m happy to report that the sweet and salty combo works just as well with cantaloupe as it does with pretty much every other fruit out there. The sweetness of juicy cantaloupe is offset by refreshing flavors of crisp red onion, salty feta, and savory basil. Serve it up on freshly toasted baguette and you have yourself one addictive appetizer.
So if you’re like me and looking to stretch out summer just a little bit longer, you should probably give this recipe a try. While it makes a great snack or light appetizer for a summer meal, it would also be the perfect addition to an end-of-summer picnic or BBQ. But just a fair warning, after eating this, you’re not going to want to see summer end.
- 4 cups cantaloupe, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- juice of 2 small limes (about 3-4 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
- salt & pepper, to taste (I used about 1/8 tsp of each)
- whole wheat baguette
- olive oil
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Slice baguette diagonally into 1/4" thick slices and place in an even layer on prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly spray or brush the tops of the baguette slices with olive oil.
- Bake for about 5 minutes, until edges are golden, adjusting baking time accordingly to achieve desired crispness.
- After sitting, I found that quite a bit of liquid had accumulated at the bottom of the dish. Simple use the lid of the dish to carefully drain excess liquid as needed.
[…] Cantaloupe and Feta Bruschetta from Kara at Byte Sized Nutrition […]