Melon and feta salad with crispy chickpeas

Name: Melon and feta salad with crispy chickpeas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 200g chickpeas from a tin or jar, drained; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle; 2 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseeds); ½ tsp nigella seeds; ½ tsp sumac, plus extra to sprinkle; 1.2kg cantaloupe melon, peeled, seeds removed and cut into slices; 1 baby cucumber, thinly sliced; 4 mint sprigs, leaves picked; 75g feta, crumbled

Portion size: Serves 4
Prep time 20 min. Cook time 25 min
Difficulty: easy

Gluten-free

Vegetarian

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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Step aside, ham-wrapped melon – there’s a new dish in town. Try our refreshing cantaloupe melon salad topped with crispy chickpeas and feta cheese.

Why it’s so good: Crispy roasted chickpeas and seeds with salty crumbled feta are the ideal topping for juicy cantaloupe melon. Fresh mint leaves and slivers of cucumber bring extra freshness.
Easy swap: Skip the feta to make this salad vegan – it will still be delicious.
How to air fry: You can use an air fryer to bake the chickpeas and seeds. Cook the chickpeas at 180°C for 12 minutes, then add the seeds and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Loved this dish? Browse our complete collection of summer salads and sides.

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Ingredients

200g chickpeas from a tin or jar, drained
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseeds)
½ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp sumac, plus extra to sprinkle
1.2kg cantaloupe melon, peeled, seeds removed and cut into slices
1 baby cucumber, thinly sliced
4 mint sprigs, leaves picked
75g feta, crumbled

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Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the drained chickpeas on a baking tray with plenty of space. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir the chickpeas, then add the mixed seeds and nigella seeds. Bake for 8-10 minutes more until the chickpeas are crisp. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle over the ½ tsp sumac, then set aside to cool.
Arrange the melon on serving plates, tucking in slices of the cucumber as you go. Season all over with a little salt.
Spoon over the crispy chickpea mixture, the mint leaves and feta. Drizzle with a little oil then sprinkle over more sumac. Serve straightaway.
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