Have you ever tasted strawberries with basil? There is something truly spectacular about that combination. (and I probably never would have tried them together before I started blogging!)
When I started hearing about the strawberry/basil combination a few years ago, I couldn’t resist trying it. That basil sugar changed the whole strawberry game for me.
One of my favorite aspects of blogging is all of the different foods I am exposed to in the blogging community!
This salad is almost ridiculously simple to make, but the basil syrup takes it way out of the reach of ordinary. Fresh basil brightens all the fruit flavors and really turns this salad into something special.
Basil Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries stemmed and quartered, about 4 cups worth
- 2 large navel oranges sectioned and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 cup grapes halved lengthwise
- 6 large basil leaves sliced very thin
- Optional: fresh lime juice 1-2 tablespoons worth
- Basil Simple Syrup:
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed basil leaves
Instructions
- Combine the water and the sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Remove from heat. Place the basil leaves in a small glass bowl or measuring cup. Pour the hot syrup over them and let sit on the counter until cool.
- Place the fruit in a large bowl and drizzle with the basil syrup, pressing the leaves to remove as much of the syrup as possible. (Discard the wilted basil leaves.) Add the fresh basil leaves and stir to distribute. Squeeze a lime over the fruit and stir again. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Roasted Garlic and Bacon Guacamole
TWO YEARS AGO TODAY: Slow Cooked Strawberry Banana Pecan Oatmeal
THREE YEARS AGO TODAY: White Bean and Cheese Dip
Nancy says
I love the simplicity in your fruit salad recipes. Can’t wait to see more of your creative dishes!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Nancy!
Steve says
Just made this and it was bursting with fresh, sweet and deep flavor! The basil simple syrup was easy to make and made all the difference. Highly recommended!
PS, every store was out of fresh citrus so we used canned mandarin orange slices in their own juice – worked great, although I had to use a bit less than if it had been fresh oranges. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad the fruit salad was a hit, Steve. Canned mandarin will definitely work in a pinch, although the flavor may not be exactly the same; I’m happy to hear that you were able to make the recipe work with what you had. Happy cooking!