This easy summer fruit salad will be a hit at your next barbecue or picnic. With berries, cherries, peaches, and a mojito-inspired dressing, it’s refreshing and captures the best of summer fruits!
Summer is BY FAR my favorite food season. With all the fresh corn, tomatoes, herbs, and fruit — it’s a produce paradise. And what better way to celebrate the end of the season than with a fresh fruit salad?
Why you will love this summer fruit salad
This summer fruit salad recipe is infused with zesty lime and mint to give it a mojito-inspired flavor to take it to the next level. Combined with some of my favorite fruits, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and peaches, it’s vibrant and refreshing on a hot summer day.
And bonus — it’s easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time, so you can spend more time enjoying the sunshine and less time in the kitchen.
This summer fruit salad is perfect for any occasion:
- Picnics and BBQs: Serve it as a light, fruity side dish to complement grilled meats.
- Brunch: Pair it with Greek yogurt and granola, use it as a topping for pancakes or waffles, or blend any leftovers into a smoothie for a quick breakfast.
- Dessert: Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or use it to top angel food cake for a light dessert.
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar adds just a touch of sweetness.
- Lime zest provides a refreshing, citrusy flavor.
- Fresh mint gives the salad mojito vibes.
- Lime juice adds tanginess to balance the sweetness.
- Strawberries are sweet and juicy; these are the stars of the show.
- Peaches bring a tender, fragrant sweetness.
- Red cherries add a pop of color and a tart bite.
- Blueberries give you tiny bursts of sweetness and antioxidants.
- Raspberries deliver a sweet-tart flavor.
How to Make Summer Fruit Salad
This is an overview of how to make summer fruit salad. See the recipe card below for detailed ingredients and instructions.
Wash and prep the fruit: Start by washing all the fruit under cool running water, then hull and slice the fresh strawberries, pit and slice the peaches, and pit and halve the cherries.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, granulated sugar, and two tablespoons of torn mint. Use the back of a spoon to mash the mixture until it becomes fragrant and resembles wet sand.
Combine the fruit: In a large bowl, combine the prepared strawberries, peaches, cherries, blueberries, and raspberries. Pour the sugar-mint mixture over the fruit and gently toss to mix the fruit evenly.
Add the lime juice: Drizzle the lime juice over the fruit mixture. Stir gently to combine, ensuring all the fruit is coated.
Let it marinate: Allow the salad to sit for five minutes, to help the flavors meld together. This also creates a delicious, fruity syrup at the bottom of the bowl. Stir once more before serving to coat the fruit with the juices and adjust to taste. If it's too sweet, add more lime juice, one teaspoon at a time. If you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar, one teaspoon at a time. Sprinkle the remaining chopped mint leaves over the salad.
Serve and enjoy: Serve immediately or cover the big bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for up to one hour. Just before serving, gently stir the salad to redistribute the juices that may have settled at the bottom of the bowl. You can also refrigerate the salad for up to one day, though the fruit might get a bit mushy, so for the best results, eat it within a couple hours.
Tips for the Best Fruit Salad
Whether you're hosting a backyard gathering, looking for a healthy snack, or want a great side for your summer BBQ, you’ve found the best summer fruit salad. It’s easy and delicious, with a refreshing mojito-inspired twist. Here’s how to make it even easier:
- Choose ripe, in-season fruits: The key to a delicious fruit salad is using fruits at their peak ripeness. In-season fruit will have the best flavor and texture.
- Balance flavors and textures: Aim for a mix of sweet and tart fruits, as well as different textures (crisp, soft, juicy) to keep each bite interesting.
- Use a cherry pitter: To easily pit cherries, use a cherry pitter inside of a paper bag so you don't get the red cherry juice everywhere!
- Cut fruit into bite-sized pieces: This makes the salad easier to eat and ensures a good mix of flavors in each spoonful.
- Add different herbs: I love fresh mint in this recipe for a mojito-inspired twist, but you could also experiment with basil, tarragon, or a pinch of rosemary.
- Dress lightly: The dressing should enhance, not overpower, the natural flavors of the fruit. You can always add more, but it’s hard to remove too much dressing once it's mixed in.
- Prevent browning: If you're using fruits that brown quickly like apples or pears, you can toss them in a bit of the lime juice before adding to the salad.
- Serve in style: Present your salad in a trifle dish or a clear glass bowl to showcase the beautiful colors of the fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can make it up to a day in advance. Just be aware that the fruit may become slightly mushy if left for too long. For the best texture, prepare it fresh.
Fresh fruit is ideal for this salad and I do not recommend using frozen fruit because of the texture when it thaws.
The best way to prevent fruit from browning is to coat it in something acidic, like a little bit of citrus juice. The lime juice in this recipe helps prevent browning. Make sure all the fruit is well-coated with the lime juice mixture to keep it looking fresh and vibrant.
Store this fruit salad in an airtight container in a refrigerator, and it will stay good for two to three days, but note that the fruit may become slightly mushy.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have lime zest and fresh lime juice, you can substitute the same amount of lemon zest and lemon juice, or orange zest and orange juice, or even pineapple juice – just please don’t use bottled lime juice.
- If you're not a fan of mint, try using fresh basil or a pinch of rosemary for a different flavor.
- Try maple syrup or brown sugar unstead of granulated sugar in the dressing.
- Adjust the sweetness and lime juice according to your taste. Some fruits are naturally sweeter than others, so tweak as needed.
- Feel free to get creative with your fruit choices! Use any combination of mixed, ripe seasonal fruit, but for the love of god, please don't use bananas – they tend to get mushy and don't hold up well in fruit salads. Some options to try:
- Fresh pineapple
- Ripe berries
- Kiwi slices
- Sliced stone fruit
- Sliced mango
- Pomegranate seeds
- Seedless red grapes or green grapes
- Cubed dragon fruit
- Mandarin oranges
Special diets
If you have a special diet you're adhering to, here are some ways you can adjust this recipe.
- Gluten free: No gluten here! This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Dairy free: No dairy in this recipe so you can eat it as-is!
- Whole30 / Paleo: You can leave out the sugar in the dressing, but you may also want to dial back the lime juice so the salad isn't too tart.
Related recipes
Looking for some more summery sides to serve at your next barbecue? Look no further…
- Easy Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Easy Watermelon Feta Basil Salad
- Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Salad
- Easy Palisade Peach Crisp
Before you go...
If you make this summer fruit salad and love it, please leave a comment and rate this recipe! I love to hear from you and do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram — seeing your delicious creations is my favorite!
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Summer Fruit Salad
Description
This easy summer fruit salad has berries, cherries, peaches, and a mojito-inspired dressing — it’s refreshing and captures the best of summer fruits!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- Zest of ½ lime (1 teaspoon)
- 4 Tablespoons fresh mint, torn, divided
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (about ½ lime)
- 10 fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 fresh peaches, sliced
- 1 cup fresh red cherries, pitted and halved (about 20)
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
- 2 Tablespoons fresh mint, torn
Instructions
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Zest half the lime into a small bowl (about one teaspoon zest). Add the sugar and two Tablespoons torn mint and mash with the back of a spoon until the mixture is fragrant and resembles wet sand.
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Add the fruit to a large bowl. Add the sugar mixture and then add in lime juice. Stir gently to combine, then let sit for five minutes. Stir once more to coat the fruit with the juices collected in the bottom of the bowl. Taste, and if the mixture is too sweet, add more lime juice, one teaspoon at a time. If you want it sweeter, add the more sugar, one teaspoon at a time.
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Eat right away or let sit for up to one hour at room temperature. The salad can also be refrigerated for up to one day, but note that the fruit texture will change over time.
Notes
Store this fruit salad in an airtight container in a refrigerator, and it will stay good for two to three days, but note that the fruit may become slightly mushy.
One more thing!
This recipe is a part of my side dishes collection — check it out!
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