We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
This colorful and easy fruit salad is ideal to make in the summer when berries, grapes, kiwi fruit, and nectarines are in season. The light, citrusy dressing brings out the bright flavors in the fruit. It’s the perfect salad for backyard BBQ’s and potlucks.
Table of Contents
I crave fresh fruit all summer long, and this easy fruit salad truly satisfies that craving. I eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It’s the perfect side dish for all three meals of the day. The citrusy dressing adds some brightness to the fruit, but isn’t overpowering. It enhances the flavors of each fruit. If you prefer a more creamy dressing, try our Creamy Fruit Salad recipe.
The Best Fruit for Fruit Salad
You’ll see a list of the ingredients I typically use in the recipe ingredients below, but the best fruit to use in fruit salad is fruit that is local, ripe, and in season. Of course, you can customize the fruit you use to fit your taste, but here are some ideas to get you started.
Berries: Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, grapes.
Tree Fruits: Nectarines, peaches, oranges, apples, pears.
Tropical Fruits: Pineapple, bananas, mangoes, papaya.
How to Make a Fruit Salad
Here’s a quick summary of what you need to do:
- Prepare the salad dressing by zesting and juicing an orange and a lime and adding some sugar. The sauce cooks until the sugar dissolves on the stove, then cools in the fridge.
- Wash, dry, and slice the fruit.
- Combine the fruit and the dressing.
Tips for the Perfect Fruit Salad
It does take a little planning to get a fresh fruit salad just right – and it’s all about the fruit.
- Use firm, ripe fruit that is in season for maximum flavor and freshness.
- Select fruits with a variety of colors and textures.
- Avoid melons to prevent the salad from getting too watery.
- For easy eating, slice the fruit so it is all approximately the same size.
- If using bananas or apples, toss the slices in a little lemon juice to keep them from browning before adding to the salad. You will want to serve the salad immediately. Bananas and apples won’t keep well in the fridge.
Easy Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For the Citrus Dressing:
- 1 orange (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons sugar
For the Fruit Salad:
- 4 cups red grapes
- 4 cups green grapes
- 1 pineapple (or about 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks)
- 1 pound strawberries
- 8 ounces blueberries
- 8 ounces blackberries
- 5-6 kiwi fruit
- 2-3 nectarines
Instructions
For the Fruit Salad Dressing:
- Zest orange to get ½ teaspoon. Zest full lime. Cut orange in half and freshly squeeze. Juice full lime.
- Combine the juices, zests, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until cooled completely. While syrup is cooling assemble the salad.
For the Fruit Salad:
- Rinse fresh fruit in a colander.
- Dry the fruit with a paper towel or allow it to air dry. You want the fruit to be completely dry so the dressing clings to it better.
- Prepare the fruit: Slice the grapes in half, peel and slice the pineapple into chunks, peel and slice the kiwi fruit, hull and slice the strawberries, slice the nectarines.
- Place fruit in a large bowl and toss until well combined.
- Add citrus dressing and gently toss until fruit is completely covered. Serve at room temperature or cover and store in the refrigerator to serve later.
Notes
Nutrition Information
More Recipes Using Fresh Fruit
