Easy Macerated Fruit Salad

Here’s what you’ll need

The best part of this easy recipe is that you can use whatever type of fruit you prefer. I like to use a combination of fruits for this macerated fruit salad then incorporate the salty, sweet and savory elements right before I serve it.

• Melons – honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon and fresh berries (sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries) – use whatever berry you like! Use whatever mix of fruit you like.
• Vinegar: the macerating marinade – I used a Cucumber-Melon White Balsamic Vinaigrette (available from Grapevine Olive Oil Company) and local honey. I recommend using a high quality white balsamic vinaigrette with equal parts of honey
• Honey: I use local honey, but you could certainly use Mike’s Hot Honey or another hot honey brand
• Salt: you can sprinkle a little salt over the finished dish or incorporate it into the dish by adding salty elements like nuts (pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc),  a creamy cheese like crumbled goat cheese, crumbled Feta cheese, or a Parmesan-Romano blend of cheese, and some Italian prosciutto
• Sweet: for added sweetness, use fresh or dried fruit. Chopped dates are used in this recipe, however you could use figs
• Savory: for a hint of savory flavor, add chopped fresh mint, parsley
• Greens: optional; I use a spinach arugula blend of greens as the bed for the fruit salad; the arugula is my favorite because it gives a tiny bit of heat to the flavor profile

If you’re looking for a utensil-free fruit appetizer, check out my Cantaloupe Fruit Kabobs and kids and adults always like good old fashioned Ambrosia Fruit Salad!

How to make it

This pretty macerated fruit salad is a perfect side dish for a summer barbecue and makes a great summer dessert, too! 

• Select the melon(s) of your choice. Remove the rind and cut into bite size pieces; toss in the berries of your choice. 
• In a separate bowl, combine equal parts of the Cucumber-Melon Balsamic Vinegar and honey; drizzle this sweet sauce over the cut fruit, combine well, cover and refrigerate for at least 15-minutes.
• Prep the other ingredients you want to add to your fruit salad: grate the cheese, dice the dates, chop nuts, etc.
• When ready to serve, place a bed of greens in the serving dish (optional), toss the macerated fruit into a large serving bowl, sprinkle the other salad ingredients over the top, drizzle any remaining sauce over the salad and garnish with your choice of chop fresh herbs.