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Pineapple & Melon Fruit Salad with Citrus Mint Dressing

appetizer· salad· sides· Summertime Favorites

Pineapple & Melon Fruit Salad with Citrus Mint Dressing – A super refreshing fruit salad made with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, orange segments, grapefruit segments, chopped mint, and a hint of honey. The perfect addition to any summer party, picnic, or BBQ! 

Pineapple & Melon Fruit Salad with Citrus Mint Dressing - A super refreshing fruit salad made with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, orange segments, grapefruit segments, chopped mint, and a hint of honey. The perfect addition to any summer party, picnic, or BBQ!The start of summer is just around the corner. That’s right, Memorial Day is in just 20 days, people! It feels like just yesterday that I was celebrating the beginning of Spring and its gorgeous weather. Now, I gotta hurry up and get in swimsuit shape. Ummmm…I’ll just stick to a one piece this year.

We may have 20 days of spring left but that hasn’t stopped me from thinking ahead for my summer recipes. One of my absolute-favorites for summer is this Pineapple & Melon Fruit Salad with Citrus Mint Dressing. Doesn’t it just sound refreshing?!

The inspiration for this recipe was a chopped fruit salad from a local sandwich shop. But it most definitely was not love at first sight. As I was waiting for the salad to arrive with my order, a few things went through my head:

  1. Not sure if I’ll like this since I do NOT like mint
  2. Wait, this fruit salad has orange AND grapefruit. Intriguing…
  3. I hate melon. Why am I getting this salad again?

So yeahhhhh. Based on my first impression, this salad did not stand a chance. But it was a hot day and I was not about to order chips or potato salad as a side. So fruit salad it was.

After my first bite, literally the first bite, my mind instantly switched from skeptic to believer. This salad was so refreshing! The mint flavor, which is what I was most concerned about, was slightly muted by the juices of the fruit and the sweetness of the honey so it wasn’t too intense.

And don’t even ask me to explain how all these melons, the fruit that is always left for last on a fruit platter, happened to rise from oblivion. I can’t! But somehow the whole thing came together to make one incredible salad. I even drank the juice afterwards like it was leftover cereal milk! No shame.

I usually make it for my weekly lunches since the melon can usually hold up for a few days without getting mushy. But this all depends on the ripeness of the fruit that you’re using. It’s also an amazing dish to take to picnics and BBQs!

This salad is so super easy to put together. But here are a few tips that I’ve learned after making it a few times:

  1. If you want a mild mint flavor, I recommend cutting the mint into thin strips (aka the chiffonade method). To do this easily, roll your leaves into a tube like a cigar. Then, starting at the top, slice the mint into thin strips. Once you’re done, the mint should look like little ribbons. If you want the mint flavor to be more prominent, you can dice up the mint into smaller pieces.
  2. If you are buying any of your fruit pre-cut (I did this for the pineapple), throw all the leftover juice into the salad. You will not regret it.
  3. It can be a little tricky to know how to cut segments from the membranes of citrus. I learned from years of watching Food Network shows. But here’s a great tutorial from Serious Eats to help you, if you need it. Just scroll to the bottom of that link. But I recommend that you use a paring knife, not a huge chef’s knife that they use in the tutorial. Not safe. After you’ve cut out the segments, squeeze the leftover membranes into the salad for extra juice.

Okay kids…that’s all there is to it! How excited are you to try this now?! I hope this recipe changes your mind about melon (and mint!) like it did for me. Let me know how you like it in the comments below!

Here are all the kitchen tools and serveware that I used in today’s recipe. For each item sold below, I make a small commission. I only recommend items that I own and love so you can trust that each recommendation is tried and true. Thank you for supporting CPA!

Print Recipe
 Pineapple & Melon Fruit Salad with Citrus Mint Dressing
A super refreshing fruit salad made with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, orange segments, grapefruit segments, chopped mint, and a hint of honey. The perfect addition to any summer party, picnic, or BBQ!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Servings
cups
Ingredients
  • 3 cups watermelon diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups cantaloupe diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups honeydew diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 1 whole pineapple diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 large oranges
  • 1 large pink grapefruit
  • 1/2 ounce fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup honey
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Servings
cups
Ingredients
  • 3 cups watermelon diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups cantaloupe diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups honeydew diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 1 whole pineapple diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 large oranges
  • 1 large pink grapefruit
  • 1/2 ounce fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
  1. Place cubes of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple into a large bowl (about 4 quarts). Toss together. Set aside.
  2. Grab one orange and slice off the skin so that the segments are exposed. Using a paring knife, carefully slice out the segments from the membrane and place on top of the melon mixture. When all segments are removed, squeeze the membrane over the salad to remove the extra juice. Repeat with second orange and with the grapefruit.
  3. Chop or chiffonade the mint and sprinkle over the salad. Drizzle the honey over the salad. Gently toss together to combine but be careful not to break apart the citrus segments since they're so delicate.
  4. Cover and let it chill for a couple hours to let the flavors come together. Depending on how ripe the melon is, it can last in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Pin for later:

Pineapple & Melon Fruit Salad with Citrus Mint Dressing - A super refreshing fruit salad made with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, orange segments, grapefruit segments, chopped mint, and a hint of honey. The perfect addition to any summer party, picnic, or BBQ!

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Comments

  6. this sounds so delicious and refreshing. I love a nice fruit salad for a hot day. thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  8. Oh I love this quick and easy fruit salad! This is perfect for those spring desserts when you don’t want something too sweet or trying to stay healthy. Yum!

    Reply

  9. Yum! This looks so delicious and refreshing! I love fruit salad. I could eat it by the bucket full-especially in the summer!

    Reply

  11. This looks delicious, Sharon! And it’s right on time because I’m making a similar fruit salad for Mother’s Day brunch this weekend. Hopefully, I have time to shoot and share it lol.

    Reply

  13. This sounds like such a great fruit salad. These aren’t the fruits I would typically use but I have got to give it a try.

    Reply

  14. I wish that I could reach through the computer screen and grab this to eat for dinner! It looks so yummy and refreshing! This is the kind of salad that I crave this time of year!

    Reply

  17. This looks so refreshing! I just decided on celebrating my half-birthday this year (31 years of a winter birthday has gotten old) and I just may have to include this on the menu. Thank you!

    Reply

  21. Gosh I can’t imagine anyone not liking a minted fruit salad! It is SO delicious in
    summer! I usually make mint and watermelon, but next time I’ll try adding more fruit!

    Reply

    • Luckily, this dressing is super light so it enhances the flavors of the fruit, whereas other dressings might mask them. I hope you enjoy it!!

      Reply

  28. This looks a delicious combination! We’re just coming in to winter here in Sydney, but I’ll save this one for summer 🙂

    Reply

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