Summer or not, this Lime and Basil Tropical Fruit Salad is sure to cool you down and transport you to paradise. Strawberry papaya, banana, kiwi, and Thomcord grapes make this a special treat!
I will not, can not, REFUSE to say goodbye to summer if I have to say goodbye to this epic fruit salad. Yes people, I’m cutting right to the chase here. No silly story, no far stretched correlation of how one of my daily experiences relates to food.
Nope.
Nada.
None.
Here I am just giving you, out of the kindness of my 33 year old heart (I just had to throw that in there since yesterday was my birthday. Whoop whoop!), this sweet and slightly tangy recipe for the ultimate summer fruit salad: Lime and Basil Tropical Fruit Salad.
You guys, I approached the table with my mental boxing gloves on just knowing my kids were going to stare me down with their all too frequent, “What the crap is this, mom?!” faces. But, no. They didn’t say a word.
Yes, I’ll be honest, they gave a slightly weird look wondering what the little green flecks were confetti-ed throughout their fruit. But, I just answered them, with very limited eye contact, a simple, “It’s basil. Eat it,” and no more questions were asked. Score!
Not only did they eat it, but they had seconds and thirds. Emry even sat at the counter top eating more papaya after the table had been cleared and before the leftovers went into a tupperware. Well, the leftovers would have gone into a tupperware if there were enough to fill one. Instead, I transferred one lonely scoop of fruit into a Frozen character plastic container and set it in the fridge for a morning treat the next day.
This fruit salad is sooooo easy. And I’m not even exaggerating. Seriously, I saw a video recipe for “the easiest peanut butter bars” the other day, and after like the 10th ingredient and steps involving measuring, melting, mixing, microwaving, and chilling (oops, couldn’t think of another “m” word), I decided that although simple, it definitely was not the easiest recipe.
But this recipe??? EASY!
Can you peel?
Can you scoop?
Can you slice?
Can you squeeze?
Okay, bingo. You win. You pass the test. You may now make this fruit salad.
Oh wait. I forgot. Can you stir? Please answer “yes” because it would be a shame if you could do all the rest.
I love this salad because it has such a lovely, mild sweetness from the papaya, banana, and touch of honey. But then it has a bit of tang from the grapes/blueberries, kiwi, and lime juice. The two flavor profiles just really blend nicely. And then the chopped basil gives it this nice earthy undertone.
Don’t you just feel so sophisticated reading about this fruit salad? Honestly, how many of your friends eat fruit salads with fresh basil? I’m guessing none. And that is why you need to share this with the world. It will change your life. Okay, not really. There are much more important things in life, but it will make you happy for the time being. That’s a promise.
Oh, and before I forget. I used Thomcord grapes in this fruit salad. I had never hear of them before, but they were at my local grocery store. They were super juicy and downright delicious. Any other grape, or even blueberries, would work just as well.
So farewell summer. You have been good to us this year. But until you officially end, and I still have neighbors gifting me fresh summer fruit, I will hold onto you for every last second.
What are your favorite summer fruits?
- 1 strawberry or regular papaya, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 2 kiwis, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium banana, sliced
- ⅔ cup Thomcord grapes (can use any other variety of grapes or blueberries)
- 1-1½ teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4-5 basil leaves, minced
- Cut papaya in half. Scoop out the seeds from the middle. Peel and cut into bite sized pieces. Place pieces into small mixing bowl.
- Peel and cut kiwi into bite size pieces. Add to mixing bowl.
- Rinse grapes or blueberries and add to mixing bowl.
- Squeeze in lime juice and drizzle honey over fruite. Chop basil leaves and add to bowl. Mix to combine.
- Peel and slice banana. Gently stir into fruit mixture.
- Add more lime, honey, or basil according to taste. Serve cold.
- Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge for up to a day for best results.
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