Salads don’t have to rely on leafy greens and our Low FODMAP Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Burrata Salad with Basil & Mint will certainly convince you! Sweet melon, cool crunchy cucumbers, shreds of magenta radicchio, fresh basil and mint and creamy burrata cheese. All drizzled with a light vinaigrette. This is an unexpected and welcomed addition to summer cookouts.
Cantaloupe & FODMAPs
There are many fruits that we can enjoy, even during Elimination.
There are even some fruits with NO FODMAPs, like rhubarb, strawberries, papaya, dragon fruit, grapes, oranges and others. Check out our article, No FODMAP Foods.
Cantaloupe does have a FODMAP content, but it has a generous low FODMAP serving size. According to lab testing by Monash University, you can have 120 grams (4 ¼-ounces), about ¾ cup chopped. This is plenty for our Low FODMAP Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Burrata Salad .
Is Cheese Low FODMAP?
Many cheeses do a generous low FODMAP serving size and we explain this in depth in our article, Is Cheese Low FODMAP? which we recommend as general FODMAP educational reading.
For this salad we use burrata. Never heard of it? Read on…
What Is Burrata?
Burrata is like the creamiest mozzarella you have every had! It is an Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It looks like a big, round, soft pillow of mozzarella and in fact, there is an outer shell of mozzarella. The inside contains think strings of mozzarella and cream. When you cut one of the pillows open, a soft center oozes out. It is a specialty of Apulia but fairly easy to find at most cheese shops or stores that have a good cheese department.
Similar to fresh mozzarella, it comes packed suspended in liquid. It is usually enjoyed at room temperature and this salad is a perfect showcase.
What Is Radicchio?
The world of leafy lettuces is broad and vegetables like radicchio are often overlooked or at the very least, not known as well as the more typical choices.
Radicchio (pronounced rah-dee-key-oh), is a type of chicory with a slightly peppery, sharp flavor. It contrasts beautifully in this dish with the sweet melon.
Monash University has lab tested radicchio and low FODMAP serving sizes are quite generous at 2 cups or 75 g (2 ¾-ounces).
Salade Composée
The French term “salade composée” refers to an artfully arranged salad, such as Salad Nicoise.
Our Low FODMAP Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Burrata Salad with Basil & Mint is another example and couldn’t be easier. Just choose a large platter or shallow bowl and start creating.
How To Make Low FODMAP Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Burrata Salad
Have your display platter ready. You’ll need a big one!
The Cantaloupe: For the images I chose to peel and seed the melon and cut it into large, crescent shaped slices. But you could cut cubes or wedges. Just keep to the 120 g per serving to keep it low FODMAP. Scatter your melon around the platter and season with salt and pepper. Note that you will begin with more melon than what is called for in the recipe; after you peel and seed the melon a fair amount of weight is discarded.
The Radicchio: Simply use a paring knife to cut out the small, hard core of the lettuce, then use your hands to tear into pieces, or cut into broad ribbons. Scatter over the radicchio over the melon, tucking some underneath here and there.
The Cucumbers: I like to use small, almost seedless Persian cucumbers for their crunch and lack of seeds; they are not overly watery. Trim and discard the end, then cut into broad ribbons with a mandoline, a cheese plane (that’s what I use) or a sharp knife. Scatter the cucumber amongst the melon and radicchio.
The Burrata: Burrata comes in water filled tubs.
Remove pieces of burrata from the liquid, drain excess liquid off, then hold the burrata over the platter…
Start to tear open the burrata, catching any liquid on the salad.
Tear into bite-sized pieces and scatter about. Season again with some salt and pepper.
The Herbs: If you have your choice of fresh mint, look for one’s labeled just as “mint” or “spearmint”. “Peppermint” will be too strong. I tear the larger leaves by hand and leave some smaller-sized leaves whole. Scatter over all.
Drizzle with a light low FODMAP vinaigrette of your choice. Our Red Wine Vinaigrette is a good choice.
Here is our completely assembled salad was offered as part of an early summer meal. We had grilled leg or lamb and grilled vegetables, a simple rice salad and Tzatziki Sauce.
Low FODMAP Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Burrata Salad
Salads don’t have to rely on leafy greens and our Low FODMAP Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Burrata Salad with Basil & Mint will certainly convince you! Sweet melon, cool crunchy cucumbers, shreds of magenta radicchio, fresh basil and mint and creamy burrata cheese. All drizzled with a light vinaigrette. This is an unexpected and welcomed addition to summer cookouts.
Ingredients:
- 2- pounds (910 g) peeled, seeded, sliced ripe cantaloupe
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small head (about 300 g) radicchio, cored and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
- 3 Persian cucumbers, trimmed, sliced into wide, thin ribbons
- 8- ounces (225 g) burrata; typically about 2 pieces
- Fresh basil leaves; a small handful
- Fresh mint leaves; a small handful
- Low FODMAP Red Wine Vinaigrette
Preparation:
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Have a large platter or shallow bowl ready to hold your salad. Arrange your melon around the platter, then scatter the radicchio over the melon, tucking some underneath here and there. Now top with ribbons of cucumbers, artfully arranging them. There is no wrong way!
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Hold the burrata over the platter and tear open the pieces so that any liquid falls onto the salad. Tear the burrata into bite-sized pieces and scatter about. Tear the larger herb leaves and leave small ones whole and sprinkle over everything. At this point you can refrigerate the salad for a few hours, lightly covered with plastic wrap, but if you can serve right away, that is best.
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Drizzle with a light low FODMAP vinaigrette of your choice and serve.
Notes:
Tips
• I tolerate vinegars very well and like playing with different kinds. I made this salad one day with a white wine vinaigrette that I liked very much. If you are stable, try different vinegars to see what you might like. A champagne vinegar or a yuzu vinegar are great here as well.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Cheese: Many cheeses have low FODMAP serving sizes. The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. Hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano have been lab tested by Monash University and are low FODMAP in 40 g amounts.
- Cucumbers: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested cucumbers. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at ½ cup (64 g).Monash states that no FODMAPs were detected upon lab testing and set a serving size at ½ cup (75 g).
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
And we have more recipes featuring mint in our Amazing Mint Recipe Round-Up that will blow your mind!
5 Stars.
Beautiful and delicious! Delightful surprise of flavors. Will make again!
I can always count on you to get adventurous Helen! So glad you took the plunge with the burrata. It took me while to realize that it was a cheese with generous low FODMAP servings! Now there is no turning back! I bet you can come up with some great variations.