Mojito Fruit Salad

Posted on Apr 13,2018

by Jake Wilson

Salad Recipes

Mojito Fruit Salad: This fruit salad recipe has summer written all over it, with cubes of juicy watermelon and sweet strawberries and blueberries. With a nod to the mojito, the fruit is tossed with a sweet mint and lime mixture. Rum is optional!

A few summers ago, Ms. Jenny, our daughter Tessa’s horse riding instructor, was telling me about how she couldn’t wait to eat her lunch that day. Because she had Mojito Fruit Salad chilling in her cooler. There was no hiding her excitement. I knew this was something special.

Well I like mojitos (Helloooooo, mint and lime!) and I like fruit, so of course I was curious.

As we walked the early morning trails together, with Tessa on Rio’s saddle, Ms. Jenny proceeded to tell me about this fruit salad recipe. And before we parted ways, she opened up her cooler and shared a couple bites from her sacred bowl of fruit.

It should come as no surprise, I was hooked.

How to make fruit salad

The major fruit players in this summery salad are watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries. And while the limes aren’t actually visible in the salad, their tart awesomeness is evident with every bite.

I especially like how the sweet minty-lime mixture soaks into the watermelon, so I include more watermelon than berries. But you could use whatever ratio you like.

And for an especially pretty salad, use a melon baller for the watermelon!

Just place all of the prepared fruit in a large bowl. Then fold in a simple mixture of fresh lime juice, chopped mint, and powdered sugar.

Mojito Fruit Salad

While it’s fun to include a bit of rum (it IS a mojito fruit salad, after all!), it’s definitely optional. We usually have kids at the table whenever we make this, so I then forgo the rum.

This is the best fruit salad I know for summer. My whole family loooooves it, and it’s always a hit when entertaining.

More great salads for summer entertaining: my mom’s Sweet Onion Coleslaw (vinegar-based, not creamy), Grilled Vegetable Salad, and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta.

And for those summer patriotic holidays, I offer a way to have even a little more fun with this recipe. With a few jicama stars, this easily becomes a red, white, and blue fruit salad!

Just cut the jicama into slices, about 1/4″ thick. Then use a small star-shaped cutter to create star-shaped jicama pieces. To preserve their whiteness, I wait to toss the stars into the salad until right before serving.

I use the smallest cutter from this star set. It’s about 1-3/4″ in size.

How FUN is that?!?!

This fruit salad is perfectly perfect all summer long. And with a few jicama stars, it’s THE fruit salad for Memorial Day weekend and 4th of July celebrations!

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Mojito Fruit Salad

This fruit salad recipe has summer written all over it, with cubes of juicy watermelon and sweet strawberries and blueberries. With a nod to the mojito, the fruit is tossed with a sweet mint and lime mixture. Rum is optional!

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

8 c. cubed watermelon, about 1" in size
4 c. hulled and quartered strawberries
3 c. blueberries
18 large mint leaves, chopped
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
4 T. powdered sugar
4 T. white rum, optional
jicama stars, optional

Instructions

Place fruit in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine chopped mint, lime juice, and powdered sugar. With the back of a spoon, muddle the mint to release its flavor. Stir in rum, if desired.
Drizzle mixture over fruit. Gently fold to combine. Then place in fridge to chill, and to let the fruit juices mingle. This can be made a few hours prior to serving. Just be sure to fold right before eating.

To include jicama stars, cut jicama into 1/4" slices. Use a sharp star-shaped cutter to create stars. I used the smallest cutter in this set, about 1-3/4" in size. To preserve their whiteness, I wait to toss the stars into the salad until right before serving.