Juicy Summer Fruit Salad (Printable)

A refreshing mix of summer melons and berries with creamy feta, crunchy nuts, and bright lime-mint dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Fresh Fruits

01 - 1 cup cubed watermelon
02 - 1 cup cubed ripe cantaloupe
03 - 1 cup cubed honeydew melon
04 - 1 cup halved strawberries
05 - 1 cup seedless red or green grapes, halved

→ Cheese & Nuts

06 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
07 - 1/4 cup toasted pistachios or almonds, roughly chopped

→ Herbs & Dressing

08 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
09 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn
10 - Zest of 1 lime
11 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
12 - 1 tbsp honey
13 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
14 - Pinch of sea salt

# Steps:

01 - Place cubed watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, halved strawberries, and grapes in a large serving bowl.
02 - Whisk together lime zest, lime juice, honey, olive oil, and sea salt in a small bowl until fully emulsified.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the fruit. Gently toss to coat evenly without damaging delicate pieces.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled feta, toasted nuts, torn mint, and basil over the dressed fruit. Lightly toss to distribute toppings.
05 - Present the salad while chilled and fresh for optimal texture and flavor.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The mint and basil make it taste like someone turned a garden into a dessert
  • It comes together in literally fifteen minutes but looks like you spent forever planning it
  • The salty feta against sweet fruit is the kind of flavor combination that makes people stop midconversation and ask what theyre eating
02 -
  • The fruit needs to be ripe, underripe fruit will never soften or sweeten in this salad no matter how long it sits
  • Add the herbs right before serving, if they sit too long they will turn dark and wilted instead of staying vibrant green
  • The dressing ratio should taste almost too sharp on its own, it needs that brightness to balance the natural fruit sugars
03 -
  • Buy an extra half cup of each fruit, inevitably someone will sample while you are assembling and you will want the full yield
  • The dressing can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, the flavors actually meld together beautifully
  • If you are making this for a crowd, double the nuts and herbs but keep the fruit amounts the same, those toppings disappear first

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