Blueberries, mango and kiwi marinated in a slightly sweet tequila lime syrup may be the best fresh fruit summer salad you’ll find. Easy and so refreshing, perfect for any summertime meal.
I’ve heard that we’re supposed to have the best blueberry season that we’ve had for years in the Carolinas, which means more tequila lime blueberry salad at our house. Apparently it rained early in the season and has now been very dry which is what the berries like. I’ve been to my favorite blueberry orchard and my freezer is full of frozen blueberries.
I would guess that wherever you are in the States, you should be seeing fresh berries so I wanted to share this salad in case you’re looking for something new for the 4th of July. This is similar to the fruit salad I make all summer with a lime honey glaze but this fruit salad dressing works better with mangos and blueberries. The secret ingredient is tequila. However, trust me it’s still delicious without it. The tequila is cooked with the syrup so you’re not going to get tipsy.
What type of Tequila should you use
I am by no means a tequila expert, you won’t find me drinking shots, but I do love it in mixed drinks and added to marinades for healthy chicken thighs or grilled chicken wings. In this salad, I would suggest using a good quality brand. Esquire just recently had an article on the 12 best tequilas to drink right now, the two I’m familiar with are Patron and Avion.
How do you make tequila blueberry salad
Step 1: For the fruit salad dressing, heat the sugar, tequila and lime zest until the sugar has melted and then add lime juice.
Step 2: Pour the warm syrup over the fruit mixture and refrigerate to let the fruit soak up the lime flavor.
There isn’t that much sugar so it doesn’t make it overly sweet but adds just enough to make this a favorite summer salad. My girls love it because it has kiwi which is on of their favorites. Why is it that I live in North Carolina yet my children love tropical fruit and not what we can find in our backyard.
If you want to be more patriotic, use strawberries instead of kiwi. Strawberry season is over for us but I know lots of other folks are still enjoying fresh strawberries.
Looking for more summertime salads
- Make a simple spinach salad with strawberries
- Add oranges to a buratta salad
- Add some spice to your fruit salad
- Use zucchini noodles with tomatoes
- Combine peaches and mozzarella
- Put corn and blueberries together
- Peaches and tomatoes are great companions
- Go for a classic broccoli and cheese salad
Tequila Lime Blueberry Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups blueberries
- 2 mango cut into bite size pieces
- 4 kiwi peeled, and cut into large pieces
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup tequila optional
- 2 limes zest and juice, finely grated and squeezed
Instructions
- Add fruit to a large bowl. In a small saucepan add sugar, tequila and lime zest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Pour warm syrup over fruit and toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6.
Notes
- Use a good quality tequila, if you don't want to use tequila, substitute water.
- When zesting the lime, use a zester so that you don't get any of the white pith which will add a bitter taste to the dressing
- You can make the salad in advance but not more than a day or the kiwi will turn to mush.
- Freeze the leftovers to use for smoothies
- Buy the kiwi and mango in advance so that you make sure you have ripe fruit for the salad.
- This salad will not keep long as the kiwi will become mushy. The blueberries and mango will stay fresh for about 3 days.
Nutrition
If you make Tequila Lime Blueberry Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! I would love to see your creation.
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