For food, nothing speaks summer more to me than watermelon and blueberries. In days gone by you could find watermelon seed spitting contests, kids with big grins on their faces while cool, sweet watermelon juice dripped down their chins. Maybe there still are watermelon seed spitting contests – I don’t know. But I do think that you just can’t beat a slice of fresh cold watermelon on a hot summer day. 
Blueberries deserve their spotlight as well. I think of the hikes I took a few years ago while on a mission trip to the Czech Republic in the middle of summer. We found wild blueberries, and they were so good – turning our teeth and fingers purple as we munched them along the hike. While I don’t go wild blueberry picking here in the Midwest, I do enjoy them fresh whenever I can find them at a reasonable price. And in July, National Blueberry Month, they’re pretty easy to find. 
These fruits are both nutritional gems. Watermelon is low in calories with about 46 calories per cup. It’s high in Vitamin C and Vitamin A, and has one of the highest levels of the antioxidant lycopene compared with other fruits and vegetables. Blueberries also provide a low calorie load with just 80 calories per cup. They are packed with antioxidants, and deliver a good amount of fiber, Vitamin C, and manganese. Nutritionally, you can’t go wrong with these fruits. Both are healthy choices. 
They look awesome together and taste even better together. So go get some. . .now. Try your local farmer’s market, grocery store, or better yet- pick them fresh. You won’t be sorry. Try the recipe below. I put together watermelon and blueberries with a slightly sweet balsamic and mint vinaigrette. Jicama gives it just a little crunch and fresh mint leaves add refreshing zing to the salad. Don’t add the mint early, though, because it likes to wilt after a day of soaking in the vinaigrette – which is to be expected. 
I like to top mine with a few spiced nuts – almonds or walnuts are nice – and some crumbled goat cheese. Feta or gorgonzola would be wonderful as well. Yum. I love watermelon and blueberries in the summer. They’re a perfect example of the delicious and healthy food God’s given us. What are some of your favorite summertime foods? Please share in the comments below! 
Watermelon and Blueberry Salad with a Hint of Mint
Ingredients
- 5 cups watermelon diced
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- 1 cup jicama peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1/4 -1/2 tsp. dried mint finely ground
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup spiced nuts optional
- 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine washed and prepared watermelon, blueberries, and jicama.
- Stir together white balsamic vinegar, lime juice, and honey.
- Add dried mint to the vinegar and honey, starting with 1/4 tsp. and adding more if desired. Whisk together the balsamic, lime juice, honey, and mint.
- Pour vinaigrette over fruit and gently stir to coat all the fruit.
- Wash the fresh mint leaves. Add to fruit just before serving.
- Top with spiced nuts and crumbled goat cheese.
Brittnei says
Ok so I always enjoy reading your recipes! It gives me another great way to use raw jicama! I love all the other fruits like the blueberries and watermelon! And is that a little feta cheese on top that I see in the last photo! I’ve been doing my best to avoid dairy so feta cheese and goat cheese are like my new go-to when I want to add cheese to something! This would be a perfect addition to the Get Fit Friday Hop! I hope you decide to link up with us as well too today! Enjoy your weekend and Happy Friday!
Marie says
Thank you, Brittnei! Yes, I like to add a little Feta or goat cheese. Any kind that’s soft and crumbly would work well. Hope you like it. I added it to the Get Fit Friday blog hop. Thanks for stopping by!
Kerry says
It sounds good but I would have to eliminate the watermelon– I just cannot eat that stuff. I know, I know– I have some weird food aversions!
Thanks for sharing on A Humble Bumble’s Healthy Tuesdays Blog Hop- I hope you will join us again next week!
Kerry from Country Living On A Hill
Marie says
Kerry – you could try other types of melon or maybe just other fruit. Strawberries might work well. Thanks for visiting!
Trinity says
What a refreshing salad! I already have some fresh blueberries. I’ll pick up another watermelon today. I’m not sure if my store has Jicama, so I may substitute it for another fruit. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Visiting from the blog hop!
Marie says
Trinity – Glad you stopped by and hope you enjoy the salad!
Miz Helen says
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and hope to see you soon!
Miz Helen
Marie says
Thank you so much for stopping by Miz Helen!
Juggling Real Food (@JugglngRealFood) says
Wow! What a beautiful refreshing salad. I never think of watermelon as an ingredient. I always just eat it in slices or chunks. Time to change my way of thinking. Thanks for sharing this with all of the Get Fit Friday readers.
Marie says
Oh, there are all kinds of ways to eat watermelon. Hope you enjoy it. And thanks for stopping by! I’ll be sure to link up again with Get Fit Friday.
Judith at WholeHearted Home says
Yum!! These look like just the thing on a hot summer day!! I made some of the same sorts of salad this past week to cool us off as we ate. Thanks for sharing over at WholeHearted Wednesdays this past week.
Marie says
Watermelon is one of my favorite summertime fruits. I’ll be sure to share again at WholeHearted Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by!
Leah says
I would be making this tomorrow if I knew what jicama was but I will be looking for that the next trip to the store because this recipe looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at the Friday Follow Along.
Marie says
Leah – you’ll find jicama in the produce department. It’s roundish with a brown/tan peel on the outside. It adds a nice crunch to the salad, but I also like jicama by itself or with a low fat dip. Thanks for visiting! I’ll be sure to link up again to the Friday Follow Along.