A mix of berries, melon, oranges and pineapple gets tossed with honey, fresh orange and lime juice and mint, making for a healthy, colorful and bright fruit salad that’s both light and refreshing.
Easy Fresh Fruit Salad
Following my route of debauchery last weekend in Las Vegas for our 16th annual NASCAR race (yep, I’ve got a little redneck or “neckcar” in me, and proud of it), I’ve been in need of a thorough cleansing.
Too much rich food for dinners and wacky fair food at the track (fried bricks of french fries?), too many late nights as my dad’s good luck charm at the 21 table only to get up too early to head out to watch cars go round and round and round in the 74-degree sun.
Good thing I evened it out with a spa day spent with my mama. At least they offered cucumber water to counter our mango-ritas.
It’s all about balance.
I volunteer each quarter to provide a dish for the teachers at my daughter’s school during parent teacher conferences when the teachers can’t leave their posts. We can’t have starving teachers. They’re way too valuable in my book.
Last year I was assigned to bring a fresh fruit salad and made one similar to this one. It was so gorgeous, so fresh, so colorful.
I delivered it to the teacher’s break room. And then I shook my head when I realized I missed the boat and forgot to take pics to share with you.
This past month, I was assigned the same thing: fruit salad. Was it because the teachers requested my rendition again instead of a store-bought, pre-packaged plastic container version with mushy, tasteless melons and almost past due whole strawberries and mealy grapes that are either totally dried out or gone straight to mush?
Whether they did or not, I was stoked to make it again because this time I had my camera ready.
What’s in This Fruit Salad?
Making a fresh fruit salad from scratch isn’t a cheap endeavor. Sure, you’re going to save some dough purchasing that plastic container of pre-packaged sliced fruit but if you value taste, your money will be well spent.
The bulk of the fruit salad comes from sturdy fruit. This time around I chose melons, pineapple and my favorite Cara Cara oranges with their ruby red fruit.
The beauty is in the details and comes from those fresh, vibrant berries. Use whatever selection of berries you can find and crave to create a sweetened bite.
An extra shot of sweetness that pulls this berry salad together is the juice of a fresh orange, lime and honey to create an all-natural fruit salad dressing. Fresh mint leaves finish off the fresh flavors.
How to Make Fruit Salad
Both the berry salad itself and the fruit salad dressing it’s tossed in are crazy easy to make. Simply chop and slice the fruits that aren’t yet bite sized (strawberries, melons, and pineapple). Then, toss the fruit together in a large bowl.
Whisk the orange juice together with a little lime juice and honey, then drizzle over the fruit salad.
Toss everything together before sprinkling in the fresh mint leaves. Et voila! The best fruit salad.
Can I Use Other Types of Fruit?
Absolutely! The fruit salad dressing in this recipe pairs nicely with any fruit, so feel free to use whatever is in season in your area.
Can I Use Canned Fruits to Make Fruit Salad?
Technically, yes. However, I recommend making this fruit salad recipe with fresh fruit for the best taste and texture. Canned fruits are often packed in heavy syrup, which would make this berry salad far too sweet.
How Long Does Fruit Salad Last?
This berry salad will last roughly 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Note that the fruit will releases lots of juice over time, so give the fruit salad a good stir before serving the leftovers.
Tips for Making the Best Fruit Salad
There are so many ways to get creative when making a fresh fruit salad. For instance, you could use fresh basil leaves in place of the mint for a slightly different flavor.
You could also try using lemon or orange juice in the fruit salad dressing instead of lime. I bet pineapple juice or another fresh fruit juice would also work well here!
If you wind up with too many leftovers, try repurposing the fruit salad in a baked good (like a mixed fruit pie or crumble) or toss a few spoonfuls into your morning smoothie. You could also enjoy this fruit salad over yogurt, muesli, or oatmeal.
More Fruit Salad Recipes to Make
- Red, White, & Blue Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Salad
- Strawberry Arugula Salad with Watermelon & Feta
- My Favorite Ambrosia Salad
- Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad
- Cucumber, Basil, and Watermelon Salad
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Berry Delicious Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups melon , cut into chunks (such as cantaloupe or honeydew)
- 2 cups pineapple , cut into chunks
- 3 oranges (2 of them peeled and sliced into chunks and 1 orange juiced)
- 1 pint raspberries
- 1 pint strawberries , sliced
- 1 pint blackberries
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 cup seedless grapes
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 lime , juiced
- ⅓ cup chopped mint leaves
Instructions
- Toss fruit together in a large bowl.
- Whisk the orange juice with the honey and lime juice. Pour over the fruit and toss with the mint leaves.
- Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
More Classic Potluck Sides to Master
- Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
- How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw
- BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado
- Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
- German Potato Salad
Make it a great day, friends and cook something seasonal and good.
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Lovely fruit salad! The flavors come together so nicely. Thanks for the recipe!
Can I make this a day ahead and have it sit in the fridge? I think the answer is “yes,” but I don’t want to ruin it!
I made those lemon bars last night!!! YUM!! A hit!!!
What a wonderful post! Thank you very much for featuring my recipe, and I look forward to trying your fresh and colourful salad, it would make a delicious snack right about now!
Such a pretty salad, I want to dive right in!
Delicious! :)
The mint and honey really pull this fruit salad together. It’s so beautiful!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I’m going to make this my next breakfast without a doubt. Very handy and healthy. Clever! Thanks!!!
Looks delicious – I love fruit salads and this looks perfect for a potluck!
When I make a fruit salad I never know how to dress it so I don’t. I love the simper dressings like yours. Next time.. honey lime and mint is how I’m going! Thanks for the fresh idea!
This is beautiful! I’ve finally started to get away from that thing where you buy the pre-made tray because (despite the insane convenience) I’m always disappointed when I do. With all the fruit coming in season, I can’t wait to make this instead!
Oh my goodness Heidi… this is absolutely by far the most beautiful thing I’ve seen today. I could and have eaten ridiculous amounts of fruit salad because I absolutely love it – I’d chose it over any dessert any day, and I’m not joking! Yours looks stunning, and I’m sure those teachers LOVE you!
Mint and basil are my favorite add-ins to fruit salad. I always try to head to the farmer’s market to see which berries they have so I can purchase them at a little more affordable price.
Salad looks great! Love all the colors–fresh and light, it is definitely welcome on my plate.
Lucky teachers! And I’m always so turned off by the prepackaged fruit at the grocery store. This version blows the competition away! Nascar, huh? I’m so not surprised.
Wow! I would love someone to make this for me for parent teacher conferences. Oh yeah, my parent teacher conferences are when I’m lying in bed at night asking myself if I could have done anything different when teaching my boys that day.
Looks gorgeous!
What a beautiful salad, just perfect for this time of year. Your description, coupled with your gorgeous photos make me feel as if I am savoring every mouthful along with you. I can not wait it try it. Thank you for this great post.
Love the all-natural syrup you made with juice, lime and honey, must taste divine with the copped mint. This salad is almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Gorgeous photography!