Honeydew, Blueberry and Mango Salad with Lime-Ginger Reduction
This seriously delicious honeydew, blueberry and mango salad with lime-ginger reduction is fresh and simple and still manages to completely defy deliciousness!
Please meet my new, favorite fruit salad.
Well, actually, it isn’t so new to me because I’ve been enjoying it since Christmas Eve (part of our holiday dinner meal), but I’m finally getting around to sharing it with you, just like the mushroom lasagna that was part of the festivities.
Don’t be deceived by the obvious simplicity, this fruit salad, made up of only three main fruits, manages to completely defy deliciousness every time I make it.
And the secret is in the simple step of preparing what sounds complicated but is the exact opposite: a lime-ginger reduction that adds a glorious, syrupy glaze to the beautiful combination of honeydew, blueberries and mangoes.
The lime and ginger compliment the classic fruits in a way that literally leaves my taste buds singing (thanks to the lime!) and my tummy rejoicing.
Seriously delicious, you should strongly consider making this fresh fruit salad part of your summer recipe staples. Think how astounding it could be at a BBQ potluck (or simply as a quick snack in your fridge!).
One Year Ago: Smothered Pork Chops {Slow Cooker}
Two Years Ago: Asian Chicken Wraps
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Thumbprints
Honeydew, Blueberry and Mango Salad with Lime-Ginger Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest from 4 limes, zest limes before juicing
- 1 cup fresh lime juice, from the 4 grated limes and an additional 3-4 limes as needed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch table salt
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ small honeydew melon, seeds and rinds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
Instructions
- In a small, heavy-bottomed non-reactive saucepan, simmer the lime juice, sugar, and salt medium-high heat until syrupy, honey-colored, and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the lime zest, ginger, and lemon juice. Let the mixture sit and steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer.
- Combine the honeydew, mangoes and blueberries in a medium bowl; pour the warm dressing over and toss.
- Serve immediately at room temperature or cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate up to 4 hours, and serve chilled.
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated
Made this tasty colorful salad 4 our family picnic. The ginger citrus dressing was a special touch. Even my son-in-law who has a very limited range of food favorites enjoyed this a bunch! Thanks for this recipe!
I love fruit salads and I love this version!
Hi Megan – thanks for weighing in on this recipe! I think the issue boils down to terminology. I copied the verbage from Cook’s Illustrated but your point is well made that basically the syrup needs to be cooked in such a way (boiled/simmered/whatever) that it reduces. That is key to it not striking the taste buds as too tart. Thanks for your feedback!
This salad is wonderful! Perfect. I made it today for a big family BBQ and all the family loved it. I was nervous after reading Sharlene’s comment, but it was amazing. One thing that confused me, and may have caused Sharlene’s problem, is the recipe says to simmer on medium high heat….on medium high heat it boils. After simmering on low for 15 minutes, I realized the lime juice wouldn’t reduce to 1/4 cup unless it boiled. So I turned my heat up to about medium and boiled the sauce until it was close to a quarter cup. Assuming you boil the sauce, do you stir it often during the 15 minutes? I have never made a reduction before so I was glad it said in your recipe it should reduce down to 1/4 cup. Mel, you may want to consider changing the word simmer. I am so glad it worked and we will definitely make this again. We even want to try adding other fruits like strawberries and pineapple. Thank you Mel, for sharing all of your wonderful recipes. This is a definite keeper.
Okso I made this tonight for a baby shower because I love this site and your recipes never let me down… That is, until I made this one. I made the recipe and the glaze exactly as directed and chopped up the exact fruit you used. I tasted it before I brought it and was… Not what I was expecting. I lied.. I actually didn’t use the full TBSP Of ginger because it already looked like it was going to be too much so I left out like a quarter of it. The end result left my tongue tingling from the ginger and the lime was so books that you could not even taste that amazing fruit. My husband disliked it so much that he added more sugar and still threw it out. I came home wit,h 3/4 of the bowl left and it made me look like a loser… better luck next time I supp,ose. I would recommend making this before you bring it somewhere…
It’s beautiful and the lime-ginger syrup is deliciously stunning to your tongue.
This was a beautiful side dish to our home cooked dinner last Saturday night. I had to call my best friend over to try it and she just couldn’t get over how delicious it was. Late that night found me at the grocery store getting more fruit to make it for my extended family on Father’s Day. To my astonishment, my father, who is more of a meat and potatoes guy, went back for seconds on this fruit salad!
That looks and sounds so yummy.
I’ve been eating tons of fruit now that summer is here. I can’t wait to try this recipe! The photos on the side bar are killing me…I can’t just eat ALL the time!! They all look so great! Hope all is calm…
Andrea – a reactive pan is usually made out of copper (and sometime aluminum) and because of their metal, they can react to acidic foods (like lime juice in this recipe) which can affect the taste (it will taste metallic) and even the color. So safer non-reactive pans to use with acidic ingredients are stainless steel pans.
what is meant by a ‘non-reactive’ pan?
Mel:
Congrats of your first little girl!!!! You must be having so much fun!!! I hope her brothers are enjoying her company!
Two questions: one your goat cheese raviolis: what would you suggest serving these with? I am anxious to make them but don’t know what to serve with them. Also…..I made the Blueberry/Coconut cake (my husband’s office LOVED it)…..I did make it in an aluminum pan, per your instructions, but why couldn’t it be made in a glass dish? I just don’t like aluminum pans, I prefer glass. Is there any reasoning behind this?
Thanks so much and give that sweet girl a kiss from me.
Pauline
We love your honey lime fruit salad and make it often. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
The lime-ginger reduction sounds delicious!
Any recipe that will include the abundance of blueberries we have is great. I will pick a fresh batch and make this soon (if only I had a mango tree). Thanks for another great combination of flavors.
Fruit salads are always enjoyed by my family. This one looks so refreshing, with the lime zest and ginger…YUM!
I love fruit salads, but rarely make them. This looks delicious!!
This sounds super awesome! Yum!