This Fresh and Easy 4-Fruit Salad with Warm Cheese is a playful and delicious twist on fruit salad. Crisp Jicama, fresh pineapple, watermelon and mango are lightly dressed in lime juice and agave nectar and finished with fresh herbs and warm, grilled Halloumi-style cheese.
If you’re looking for some different Cinco de Mayo recipes, this fast and fresh fruit salad with grilling cheese is a great addition to your Mexican food menu.
Jump to RecipeRound out a beautiful summer brunch with this Fresh and Easy 4-Fruit Salad with Warm Cheese
I love weekend summer brunching on the deck. The air is cool, and the neighborhood still quiet. Before the lawn mowers and leaf blowers power up, I like to steal a few quiet moments with the sunshine, my coffee, the birds and my cats.
In Michigan, we have between 3-4 months of what most people would call good, summer weather. For me, that’s 3-4 months of as much outdoor time as I can squeeze in from sun up to sun down. Spring and fall yield 4-5 months of sweater weather, but you can generally get your Vitamin D the old fashioned way through a few minutes of sunshine. And although I love the look of a fresh snowfall, I hate the cold. For me, the rest of the year falls somewhere in the realm of, “If I survive another winter, I’ll give you a call in the spring and we can catch up over lunch or coffee then”.
With such a short summer cycle, I take advantage of outdoor time every chance I get – and for me, that includes eating outside whenever possible.
One of the things I love about this fruit salad is that it’s a great “make-ahead” side dish. The fruit can be cut up and dressed early and finished with the warm cheese and fresh herbs once ready to serve. This fruit salad goes great with Easy 6-Ingredient Authentic Chilaquiles – warm, corn tortilla chips tossed in a bright green sauce and topped with a beautiful sunny-side-up egg, Cotija cheese, avocado slices and fresh herbs. Add a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a second cup of coffee and I’m a happy lady.
Classic cheeses for all your favorite Hispanic dishes
I have a soft spot for family-owned companies and I appreciate that the Rizo Bros California Creamery uses only locally sourced, hormone free cows milk in all their handcrafted cheeses. And I love the fact that you can get these delicious, traditional cheeses at local grocery stores across the country.
Thanks to Rizo Bros California Creamery for providing the Grilling Cheese featured in this post.
Every foodie has a passion for seeking out good ingredients. Where I live in Michigan, I can find these traditional Hispanic cheeses for all my old and new favorite dishes at a couple different local markets. To discover grocery stores in your area that carry Rizo Bros cheeses, click here.
A few quick notes on this recipe
I love that this recipe for Fresh and Easy 4-Fruit Salad with Warm Cheese comes together in 20 minutes. If you’re using pre-cut fruit from the store the prep time is even less. The most demanding part of the recipe is the peeling of the jicama and mango.
The Halloumi-style cheese can be prepared in either a hot skilled that’s been lightly brushed with oil to prevent sticking, or directly over a hot grill. I like the added smokiness that the grilling brings to this salad. The saltiness and unique, chewy texture of this grilling cheese pairs beautifully with the crisp jicama and other fruits.
I like to top this recipe with a little fresh cilantro, but if cilantro is not your thing, fresh mint makes a fine substitute. Just make sure to use fresh herbs for best flavor and presentation.
Finally, this recipe can be prepared in stages. You can toss together the jicama, fruit, lime juice and agave in advance. When you are ready to serve, simply cook the cheese on each side for two minutes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and toss with the rest of the salad and fresh herbs.
What to do with all that extra juice at the bottom of the salad
So you’ve polished off the last of the Fresh and Easy 4-Fruit Salad with Cheese, and all that’s remaining is a fair amount of juice at the bottom of the bowl. What should you do with it? Well, whatever you do, don’t pour it down the drain! At a time when the popularity of mocktails is on the rise, you just made yourself a nice little sweet and savory agua fresca. If the thought of a mocktail seems like a shame, you can add a little tequila.
Depending on how fresh and juicy the fruit is, you may find 1/3 – 1/2 cup of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. This liquid can be separated out and blended with club soda over ice for a refreshing flavored water. I usually mix equal parts soda and liquid and pour it over ice to dilute further.
If you simply must have the tequila, equal parts tequila to liquid over ice will do the trick nicely. But let the drink sit for a minute. This will allow the ice to melt into the mixture and mellow the flavor.
Fresh and Easy 4-Fruit Salad with Warm Cheese
Course: SidesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings15
minutes5
minutesIngredients
1 cup fresh jicama, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup fresh mango, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup fresh watermelon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp. fresh lime zest
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. light agave nectar
Three (3) 1/2-inch slices of Rizo Bros. Grilling Cheese, cooked as directed and cut into 1/2 in cubes
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro or mint
Directions
- Prepare the fresh ingredients for the salad
- In the bottom of a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice and agave nectar. Stir until combined.
- Roughly chop the cilantro (or mint) and set aside.
- Prepare and cut the fruit into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss the fruit with the lime juice mixture and set aside until ready to prepare the cheese.
- Prepare the grilling cheese and finish the salad
- If using a skillet, warm the pan over medium-high heat – approximately 2 minutes.
- Lightly coat the surface of the pan with nonstick cooking spray or a neutral cooking oil, and lay the cheese directly on the cooking surface. Allow to cook for approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the cheese over and cook on the other side until golden brown. The cheese will soften, but still hold its shape. Grilling cheese does not melt like other cheeses.
If cooking the cheese over a hot grill, use a piece of foil or a grill mat to hold the cheese. Cooking time may vary depending on the heat of the coals, so watch the cheese closely. - Remove the cheese from the heat and cut into 1/2 inch cubes while still warm. Immediately toss the warm cheese with the fruit and fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
- Note: Although you can prepare the fruit ahead of time, don’t be tempted to make up the whole salad in advance. The fresh herbs will wilt, and the texture of the cheese will not be the same.
