This is an easy fruit salad with three kinds of fruit plus a creamy dessert sauce featuring fresh peach, yogurt and cream cheese!
When fruits are ripe and abundant in stores, markets and fields there's no better way to show them off than in a bright fruit salad! (Yummy yummy! Fans of The Wiggles will get that one.)
This salad is simple with only three fruits: strawberries, blueberries and cantaloupe, lovely together especially with a little lime zest over them all. Serve this salad with a creamy fruit sauce that's sweet with fresh peach puree, cream cheese and vanilla yogurt. A little mint on top and - oh so tasty!
Why you'll love it
There are only three fruits to prepare for the salad, and only two of those need cutting. That means the salad can come together rather quickly.
The sweet peach sauce sets it apart from any old fruit salad: the fresh puree of peach goes so well with the other fruits. There is a nice sweetness in the cream along with a little tang from the yogurt. The pop of flavor from ribbons of fresh mint are tantalizing.
🔪 How to make this recipe
Step 1: Cut the cantaloupe
Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the melon away from the rind and into small cubes. Add them to a large bowl.
Step 2: Cut the strawberries
Use a hulling tool to remove the tops then slice the strawberries into small pieces. Add them to the bowl.
Step 3: Add the blueberries and lime zest
Add the whole blueberries to the bowl along with the zest of one lime. Gently stir everything together.
Step 4: Make the peach cream
Peel two fresh peaches and cut the flesh away from the pits. Puree the fruit in a blender or mini chopper until it is completely smooth. Mix this puree with softened cream cheese, vanilla yogurt and confectioner's sugar.
Step 5: Serve the fruit salad
Roll the mint leaves and cut them chiffonade style. For a buffet-style gathering have the fruit salad bowl next to a smaller bowls of the peach cream and the cut mint leaves. Have guests ladle fruit salad into their bowl topped with a dollop of the cream and a sprinkle of mint. Or, assemble small individual dessert bowls of the fruit salad, cream and mint leaves to serve.
Tips:
- Ripe peaches that are a little soft will blend up the best when making the cream.
- You can cut the melon and strawberries ahead of time. I like to toss the fruit salad together shortly before serving so the fruits look and taste fresh with individual flavors still distinct.
FAQs
Keep the fruit salad covered tightly for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Yes - here's how to wash the berries without them turn to mush: on the day you're planning to use them gently rinse the blueberries and strawberries in a strainer under cold water. Shake off the excess water. Spread the berries onto a baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel. Gently pat the berries with the edges of the towel, then let them air-dry. Occasionally roll the berries around with your fingers so they dry all over. You can even point a fan at the tray or have it near a breezy window.
Yes, you can make the peach cream the day before you plan to use it. Keep it covered in the fridge.
The recipe is below! And here are a few more ways to take advantage of fresh fruit: Blueberry, Peach & Lime Sorbet, a slice of Grilled Peaches & Cream Shortcake, and Spiced Blueberry Mango Bread Pudding!
***How do you like this fruit salad, and the sweet peach cream? Tell me below and leave a star rating!
Blueberry, Strawberry & Cantaloupe Fruit Salad with Sweet Peach Cream
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds cantaloupe (will yield about 5 cups of cut cantaloupe)
- 16 ounces fresh whole strawberries, washed and dried
- 2 pints fresh blueberries, washed and dried
- Zest from 1 lime
- 2 peaches, ripe
- 12 ounces vanilla nonfat yogurt
- 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
- 6 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- Mint leaves
Instructions
Make the fruit salad
- Have ready a medium-large serving bowl for the fruit.
- Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the melon away from the rind, and then into small cubes. Add the melon cubes to the bowl
- Use a huller to remove the tops from the strawberries. Slice the strawberries into small chunks with a sharp knife and add them to the bowl.
- Add the blueberries to the bowl. Use a zester or microplane to zest the lime into the bowl. Use a large spoon to gently mix everything together.
Make the peach cream:
- Peel the peaches with a vegetable peeler. Use a paring knife to cut the flesh away from the pits. Place the peach flesh in a mini chopper or food processor and puree until the peaches are completely liquefied and smooth.
- Add the puree to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add in the softened cream cheese, yogurt and sugar. Whisk everything on high until all the cream cheese lumps are gone and the sauce is very smooth.
Assemble the dessert
- For individual servings, ladle fruit salad into small serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of sweet peach cream.
- To chiffonade-cut the mint leaves, stack the leaves on top of each other. Roll them starting at the long side into a tight cylinder. Use a sharp knife to slice through the cylinder several times, creating ribbons. Top each serving dish with several ribbons of mint.
- For a buffet-style gathering, place the bowl of fruit salad next to a small bowl of the sweet peach cream and a stack of dessert dishes. Have guests ladle their own salad and cream, and have the ribbons of mint on a small dish to top the desserts.
- Makes about 6-8 servings.
Notes
- Ripe peaches that are a little soft will blend up the best when making the cream.
- You can cut the melon and strawberries ahead of time. I like to toss the fruit salad together shortly before serving so the fruits look and taste fresh with individual flavors still distinct.
- Here's how to wash the berries without them turn to mush: on the day you're planning to use them gently rinse the blueberries and strawberries in a strainer under cold water. Shake off the excess water. Spread the berries onto a baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel. Gently pat the berries with the edges of the towel, then let them air-dry. Occasionally roll the berries around with your fingers so they dry all over. You can even point a fan at the tray or have it near a breezy window.
- Keep the fruit salad covered tightly for 2-3 days in the fridge.
- The Sweet Peach Cream can be made the day before and kept covered in the fridge.
Trish
Saw this while camping in VT & with the fresh fruit, a very light dessert.
Have not tried it yet.
Nancy Mock
Hey Trish! I hope you’ll get to try this one, a fresh fruit dessert like this would be great to take camping. Keep me posted!