For a fresh take on caprese salad, replace tomatoes with strawberries and watermelon

Yea! We made it to summer and out of quarantine! Now it’s time to celebrate by reuniting with family and friends that we haven’t been close to in over a year. What better way to celebrate than with a nice refreshing summer salad that showcases some of our summer time favorites — strawberries and watermelon.

This fresh Strawberry and Watermelon Caprese Salad with Honey Lime vinaigrette is great for any event. Whether it’s a Fourth of July family picnic in the park, a family reunion or even your company picnic, you’ll wow all who attend with this salad. This salad has bright reds from the juicy-sweet fruit, to the bright green of the basil as well as the tangy zing of the vinaigrette. You’ll definitely leave them wanting more.

This is not your typical salad. I mean, even the kids will like it. I like to use mozzarella cheese for that reason. Most recipes use feta, but I found that to be a bit over powering for most children’s palates, it’s also one of my favorite cheeses. Plus it pairs perfectly with the juice of the fruit as it combines with the vinaigrette.

This salad also takes advantage of fresh ingredients in season, especially the strawberries, so what’s not to love?

As always I encourage you to get creative with this salad. Have fun and add a little cucumber slices, get a little bold by adding some sliced red onion or even add some blueberries for your Fourth of July celebrations. Switch the basil for mint. As you can already tell, this is not your typical lettuce salad by any stretch of the imagination. You can get as creative as you’d like with this salad. I’d love to see what you come up with!

While a caprese salad is traditionally Italian, the American spin is the watermelon. I love fresh watermelon in the summer. It’s so sweet, hydrating and refreshing. Watermelon is kind of a staple in most American households during the summer months. We just elevated it by adding seasonal strawberries and other fresh ingredients, making everything work well together in this recipe of mouth watering recipe with exploding flavors.

This wonderful fruit salad with a zesty twist should encourage your inner creative chef to personalize your very own masterpiece playing off this Strawberry and Watermelon Caprese Salad with Honey lime Vinaigrette recipe. So now let’s roll up our sleeves, wash our hands and get started on making your very own version of another summertime salad that will have your guests asking for more.

Reach Michelle Madden at Da Munchie Plug LLC on Facebook.