An easy, fresh dessert (or side dish?) for celebrating. The best part? It takes 20 minutes to assemble, and kids love helping arrange the colorful fruits, and it's a great way to cool down on hot days.
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Fresh dessert
This colorful, red, white and blue salad is made with sweet berries, pineapple, watermelon and other Summer fruit. I know the white is technically yellow, but we work with what we find. The patriotic American feel is there, right?
It's perfect as part of your Fourth of July dishes, Memorial Day, Labor Day or any Summer celebration where you want something refreshing that looks absolutely stunning on the table.
Testing Notes
Use the most flavorful, just-ripe fruit you can find. The dressing is a complement, but doesn't mask flavorless fruit. It should be good enough to be eaten on its own.
Avoid a watery salad by making sure the fresh berries are completely dry before adding them, don't use overripe fruit (too much water content), and drain any excess liquid before serving.
Star-shaped pieces: I mostly use mango (though not technically white, it works) and sometimes pineapple, but the pieces may not be large enough for the smallest of my star cookie cutters. Apples, pears, white peaches and bananas can be labeled white fruits and have a good surface, but they brown too quickly, and I like a summery feel to this salad, so I usually avoid them.
This salad improves after sitting for a few hours in the fridge, so don't hesitate to make it ahead. However, if you add bananas or apples, add them just before serving to prevent browning.
Fruit turning brown: The lemon juice should prevent most browning, but if you're concerned, you can add an extra tablespoon.
Too sweet or not sweet enough: Taste your fruit before adding the honey or sweetener of choice - if it's already very sweet, you might want to reduce it; remember that the orange juice is also sweet. If the fruit is tart, feel free to add an extra tablespoon of sweetener. Don't be afraid to taste and adjust the honey and citrus juice to complement your specific fruit combination. This is essential as fruit can vary greatly in flavor depending on the time of year.
Assemble and chill
This is a crucial step to allow the sweet dressing and fruit flavors to meld.
So you can make it ahead. Use a large bowl to toss this first part beforehand, but place the stars and some extra fresh fruit until right before serving.
Blue fruit: I use blueberries, but blackberries also work. They're more fragile to handle and usually too big for my taste.
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Patriotic Fruit Salad
Ingredients
The fruit:
- 1 ⅓ cups blueberries
- 2 cups quartered strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- ½ cup cubed pineapple
- 2 cups cubed watermelon, halved pitted cherries also work
- 1 mango, sliced to cut star-shapes
The dressing:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons honey, sugar or simple syrup
Instructions
Prep the fruit:
- Wash 1 ⅓ cups blueberries, 2 cups quartered strawberries and 1 cup raspberries and pat them dry with a kitchen or paper towels. Hull and slice the strawberries into bite-sized pieces or quarters; they work great for most berries.
- Have ready ½ cup cubed pineapple and 2 cups cubed watermelon, making sure there are no seeds. For the pineapple, cut into small chunks that match the watermelon bites.
- Slice 1 mango into thick slices, then use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to create star pieces. If you don't have a star cutter, you can carefully cut star shapes with a knife, or simply cube the mango - it'll still taste amazing and have the colors, if not the shape. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup orange juice and 3 tablespoons honey, sugar or simple syrup until well combined. The lemon juice will help prevent browning and add a bright, fresh flavor that complements all the fruits perfectly.
- Or use simple syrup (see Notes below) instead of honey. If using sugar, stir well to dissolve as it can pool and not mix well.
Assemble and chill:
- In a large serving shallow bowl or platter, make two layers, combining the prepared fruits except the stars.
- Drizzle ¾ of the citrus honey dressing (eyeball it) and toss very gently with a large spoon to coat everything evenly. Be careful not to mash the berries or break up the delicate fruits. You can do this in a separate bowl if you feel more comfortable.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the salad sit in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. It benefits from being made a few hours ahead.
- Scatter the star-shaped mango on top, drizzle with more dressing and serve chilled on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip on top and fresh mint leaves.
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