Happy Official Summer! With June 1st come and gone, its time to gorge ourselves on Summer Fruit Salad while we can – and that means LOTS of watermelon and pineapple! I think pineapple makes everything better. And grilled pineapple even better still. So I’ve included grilling instructions for the pineapple and watermelon (brings out their natural sweetness – yummers) if you want to really celebrate summer. And when I say instructions- I mean preheat and grease grill, grill for such and such minutes, the end – so easy and enhances the flavor so much! But if you don’t want to grill, that is totally fine, this summer fruit salad is still divine without grilling because just think how refreshingly delectable pineapple and watermelon are on their own?!
What FRUITS ARE GOOD FOR SUMMER FRUIT SALAD?
In addition to watermelon and pineapple, I also tossed in fresh blueberries but you could add whatever fruit combo suits your mood:
cantaloupe
strawberries
kiwis
grapes oranges mangos
They would all taste AH- mazing with pineapple and watermelon and the chilled Honey Lime Mint Dressing. Essentially, you can add/mix in whatever fruit you have on hand because the dressing is out of this world! And pineapple and watermelon make everything better.
How to Cut Pineapple for Summer Fruit Salad
How to Cut Watermelon for Summer Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad Dressing
Ah, Honey Lime Mint Dressing; a fruit salad dressing so delicious, you will be loving, craving, crushing on a dressing. To make the fruit salad dressing, simply whisk together:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon Lime zest
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
We all know honey, lime and mint taste incredible together, but I’ve also added just one tablespoon chopped shallots for a slight punch, salt which actually enhances the fruit sweetness and chili powder. If you’ve never tried fruit with chili powder – it will blow your mind. In fact, pineapple with chili powder and lime is one of the most popular street snacks in Mexico – and soon you will taste why! But don’t worry, it is intoxicatingly subtle in this application. After whisking together the Honey Lime Mint Dressing ingredients, you chill the dressing for at least 20 minutes so the honey-lime mixture gets infused with the mint. You can also make this dressing a day in advance so when it comes time for serving, simply pour it over your grilled or not grilled pineapple, watermelon and other fruit and dig into spoonfuls of juicy fruit smothered in sweet and tangy, light and refreshing Honey Lime Mint Dressing.
Can I Make Summer Fruit Salad the Day Before?
If you are not grilling the fruit, then yes, you can definitely make this Summer Fruit Salad the day before servings but you will want to store the fruit and dressing separately (see my notes below). I don’t recommend making this Summer Fruit Salad the day before if you are grilling the watermelon and the pineapple. This softens the fruit just enough that it is best served within a few hours.
HOW TO PREPARE SUMMER FRUIT SALAD AHEAD OF TIME
This Summer Fruit Salad can be made a day or two in advance but the fruit and the dressing should be kept separate. Chop all of your fruit and store them in an airtight container or a large bowl covered in plastic wrap. Prepare the Fruit Salad Dressing and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator separate from the fruit. Watermelon and pineapple can release a lot of juice after they are cut (this is why we don’t store them with dressing), so don’t be alarmed! Right before serving, drain off any excess fruit juices and pour the fruit dressing over the fruit and gently combine.
HOW DO YOU KEEP FRUIT SALAD FRESH?
Fruit Salad is at its peak freshness the day it is assembled, so it is best to serve it the same day it was prepared. You can prolong the freshness by storing in the refrigerator. This Summer Fruit Salad keeps for about 3 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind, the longer it sits, the more juices will be released from the fruit, you will need to drain off excess juice or serve with a slotted spoon. And that, my friends, is the satisfyingly sweet, fresh, tangy, juicy taste of summer. Welcome back my friend.
Looking for more Side Salad Recipes?
Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing Perfect Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad wit Italian Dressing Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Outback Copycat Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Ranch Southwest Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing Strawberry Broccoli Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Want to try this Summer FRUIT Salad?
Pin it to your SALAD or GRILL Board to SAVE for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes! I am always pinning :)!
©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com Carlsbad Cravings Original Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!
