This easy summer fruit salad is the perfect addition to backyard bbqs, cookouts, pool parties, and picnics!. Sweet summer fruit is covered with a tangy dressing made with fresh lime juice, mint leaves, and honey. Make it extra pretty by cutting some of the fruit in star shapes.
2 ½tablespoonshoneymild honey like wildflower or orange blossom
1tablespoonmintchopped
1lime
Instructions
Honey Lime Dressing
Place the honey in a bowl. Cut the lime in half and squeeze both halves into the bowl, being careful not to get any seeds in there.
Add chopped mint. Whisk until mixed well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Fruit
Wash the strawberries. Drain well and gently pat dry with paper towel.
Core and hull the berries -discard stems. ( To hull berries: with a paring knife, pierce the berry where the stem meets the core. Twist, using your thumb to guide the knife, and remove the core and stem)
Chop the strawberries into a large dice and add to a large mixing bowl.
Wash blueberries. Drain well, gently pat with paper towel, and add them to the bowl.
Cut Star Shapes
Slice the watermelon so that you have big round slices. Each slice should be about an inch or so thick. If they're too thin the stars will break - too thick and you won't be able to get the cookie cutter through them.
Lay each slice flat. Using the star cookie cutter, push it into the watermelon to cut out a star.
Repeat until you’ve cut out as many stars as you can.
Place the watermelon stars in the bowl with the strawberries and blueberries.
Next, remove the skin from the peaches and slice the peaches into ½-inch thick flat pieces. Do this by cutting straight down until you reach the pit then slice straight down on the other side until you reach the pit.
Lay the pieces flat and use the cookie cutter to cut stars out of the peach slices - like you did with the watermelon. Make as many stars as you can and then place them in the bowl.
Assemble the Fruit Salad
Carefully mix all the fruit in the bowl until it’s evenly coated in the dressing.
Drizzle the honey lime dressing over the fruit.
Garnish with a sprinkle of lime zest on top of the fruit.
Notes
Storage:This is best eaten right away but will keep in the fridge covered for 2-3 days.The salad does not freeze well -the fruit gets mushy but you can still use leftovers for smoothies.Tips:
The flavor of your honey will make a huge difference in the finished flavor of this fruit salad. Use a light honey - like clover honey, orange blossom honey, or wildflower honey for best results.
You can substitute agave nectar for the honey.
An easy way to peel peaches is to drop them in boiling water for 10-20 seconds then fish them out - the peel will slip right off!
If you use light colored fruits like apples or pears swishing them in a little lemon juice is a good idea. It will keep them from discoloring.
You could also use lemon or orange juice instead of lime.
Other fruit that would work great in this salad include: apples, cherries, kiwi fruit, apples, honeydew, mandarin oranges, fresh pineapple, seedless grapes, and raspberries - really any of your favorite fruits!
If the watermelon slices are too thin, they may break while you’re trying to cut the stars. But if they’re too thick you may not be able to get the cookie cutter through - cut them about one inch thick.
Read the full post above for more tips and substitutions.