My Favorite Fruit Salad (2024)

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The best ever Fruit Salad coated in a simple fruitydressing. Perfect for potlucks, summer parties, or a side dish to your meals!

This salad is the perfect side to an easy summer meal such as this steak marinade or this grilled chicken marinade.

Fruit Salad Recipe

Growing up, my mom served fruit salad with just about every single dinner we had. The weeknight versions of the salad were pretty simple (usually a few cans of fruit mixed with whipped topping and Jell-O like this Orange Fluff Salad). She’d usually make a salad with fresh fruit whenever there was company.

We all love her fruit salads. This salad isn’t identical to the one she made growing up, because the fruit constantly changed. Basically whatever was fresh, ripe, on sale in the store, and/or ready from our fruit trees is what went in hers.

So today, I’ve got my ultimate favorite line-up of fruits in a salad, but you can easily change it out and swap for whatever you like best. As long as the quantities remain fairly consistent and you’ve got plenty of variety, this salad will be a hit!

For colder weather, you may want to try this winter version, or if you’re looking for a salad that can double as dessert try this creamy fruit salad with yogurtnext!

Ingredients

The best part about this salad is there are SO many different combinations of fruit that can make a delicious salad. Follow my exact recipe or switch out a few fruits for your favorites. The citrus dressing, though, is non-negotiable—kidding, but it really is delicious!

• Pineapple: Pick a pineapple that smells sweet at the bottom; it means it’s ripe and juicy.
• Strawberries: It might sound obvious but look for bright red, firm strawberries with a shiny surface for the best flavor.
• Kiwis: Look for kiwis that are slightly soft to the touch; this tells you they are ripe and sweet.
• Grapes: Make sure you grab seedless and look for plump grapes with a consistent color; wrinkles tell you they are older and less juicy.
• Clementines:For clementines, look for ones that are bright orange and don’t have big spots or soft areas, which shows they are fresh and tasty. In a pinch you can use canned mandarin oranges.
• Blueberries:When choosing blueberries, gently shake the container; if the berries move freely, it means they are firm and not clumped together.
• Citrus Dressing: Shake the ingredients in a mason jar to mix well. Stir occasionally to prevent the honey from settling at the bottom.

QUICK TIP

What is the best fruit for fruit salad? A good fruit salad needs fresh, ripe fruits and a mix of flavors and textures. Choose seasonal fruits and combine berries with fleshier fruits like peaches, mangoes, and bananas. For a crisp touch, add some apples!

How To Make Fruit Salad

It’s as easy as 1,2,3….

1. Make the Dressing: Mix honey, orange and lemon zest, and juices in a jar. Shake well.
2. Prepare the Fruit: Select fresh fruits that are in season. Wash, dry, and cut all fruits. Chill them if you have time.
3. Assemble: Toss all fruits in a large bowl. Add dressing and mix gently. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate.

QUICK TIP

Why do some fruits turn brown? Fruits turn brown because of oxidation, which happens when they are exposed to air. This doesn’t hurt the fruit, and it’s still safe to eat, but it might not look as nice. To keep fruit from browning, you can sprinkle a little citrus juice on it.

Tips For The Best Fruit Salad

• Use Seasonal Fruits: Try to pick fruits that are in season for the best flavor and freshness. Seasonal fruits are usually at their peak in taste and are more affordable.
• Mix Textures: Mix textures to make the salad fun to eat. Add juicy fruits like strawberries and clementines with firmer fruits like pineapple and kiwis. This variety keeps every bite different and delicious.
• Prep Early: This is totally optional but if you have time prepare the fruit salad, a few hours before serving and refrigerate it. This allows the flavors to meld together.
• Keep Fruit Fresh: To prevent browning in fruits like apples and bananas, sprinkle a little lemon juice over them after cutting. This not only keeps them fresh but also adds a great flavor.
• Get Ripe Fruit: Plan ahead to either buy ripe fruit or consider the time it will take for your fruit to ripen. This will really make the overall flavor of your salad so much better when all the fruits are ripe.

Fruit Salad FAQs

What Is The Best Dressing For A Fruit Salad?

The ideal fruit salad dressing blends citrus juice and zest (such as lemon and orange) with a sweetener like honey or sugar to enhance the natural flavors of the fruit and slow browning. The dressing in this recipe perfectly combines all these elements, making it truly the best.

Can You Use Frozen Fruit In This Salad?

No, it’s best not to use frozen fruit in this recipe. When frozen fruit thaws, it can become mushy and may water down the salad, altering the texture and diluting the flavors.

What Fruits Don’t Go Together In Fruit Salad?

The beauty of this salad is that if you love a fruit, it will likely taste great in the mix, especially with the delicious citrus dressing we drizzle all over it. However, if you’re considering adding a fruit with a very overpowering flavor, you might want to leave it out to preserve the balance of the other flavors in the salad.

More Fruit Salad Recipes

• Citrus Salad mix of citrus, avocado, and pistachios
• Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad inspired by Panera Bread
• Tropical Fruit Salad with a 3-ingredient dressing
• Unforgettable, crave-worthy Grapefruit Salad
• Mandarin Orange Salad with a citrus dressing

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Fruit Salad Recipe

4.75 from 8 votes

- Review this recipe

The best ever fruit salad coated in a simple fruity dressing. Perfect for potlucks, summer parties, or a side dish to your meals!

See Also

Creamy Vegan Chai Ice Cream

Print Recipe

Fruit Salad Recipe

4.75 from 8 votes

- Review this recipe

Print Recipe

The best ever fruit salad coated in a simple fruity dressing. Perfect for potlucks, summer parties, or a side dish to your meals!

Course Appetizer, Brunch, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 as a generous side dish

Chelsea Lords

Calories 163kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Ingredients

Salad

• ▢ 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
• ▢ 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries, tops removed
• ▢ 1 cup thinly sliced peeled kiwis (3 kiwis)
• ▢ 2 cups red or green seedless grapes
• ▢ 1 cup clementines (3 clementines)
• ▢ 2 cups blueberries (1 pint)

Dressing

• ▢ 1/4 cup honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon each: orange zest & lemon zest
• ▢ 2 tablespoons each: orange & lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon, vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

• DRESSING: Add dressing ingredients to a wide-mouth mason jar. Shake to combine. Stir if needed to keep honey from settling at bottom.

• PREP: Prepare fruit. Wash and completely dry (else dressing won't stick). Cube pineapple into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice strawberries, peel and thinly slice kiwis, remove grapes from stem, peel and segment clementines. If time permits, chill fridge ahead of time in fridge.

• ASSEMBLE: Combine all the fruit in a very large bowl. Drizzle dressing on top, adding to preference. Enjoy immediately or pop in fridge to allow flavors to meld. Stir again before enjoying.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 656IU | Vitamin C: 120mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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