There's nothing more refreshing in the hot summer months than a Summer Fruit Salad. Full of juicy summer fruits like watermelon and cherries, it's the best fruit salad for any summer party or family gathering.
Can you imagine a summer BBQ without an easy fruit salad? It's the perfect side dish to take the sting out of hot summer days with healthy fruits. This simple recipe can be put together with a variety of fruits and is the perfect salad for a tasty treat.
If you find cut fruit boring as is we've got a little trick! Add some lime juice and fresh mint. It's a simple way to amp up the flavors of the delicious fruit salad without adding loads of extra calories with a dressing.
We loved combining favorite ripe berries, watermelon and cherries (favorite red fruits of summer) but you can change this up with any favorite fruits. We share some ideas in Variations below. You can enjoy it for any meal of the day too.
Pair this with our Lebanese grilled chicken skewers and Pomegranate Mint Cauliflower Rice for a full meal with little effort.
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What makes this skinny?
Did you know the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 2 cups of fruit per day for overall health? Fresh fruit does everything from providing essential nutrients to keep you regular. This is a the perfect way to knock out those daily requirements with ripe summer season fruit.
We've added no heavy creamy dressings (which by the way keeps the fruit fresh longer in the refrigerator); just some fresh mint and lime juice (two best things to really make it special without extra fat and calories).
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Watermelon. Choose a small ripe seedless watermelon. You'll need 3 cups of cubed watermelon for this fruit salad.
Strawberries. One 16-ounce container (or slightly over 3 cups) of ripe strawberries is what you'll use. Rinse and hull them before cutting. Using a strawberry huller can make this go quickly and won't remove excess fruit.
Raspberries. Two 6-ounce containers of raspberries or 3 cups. Rinse and allow to drain on a paper towel before adding to the salad.
Cherries. Any type of fresh ripe sweet cherries can be used. Remove the stems and pits. Using a cherry pitter makes removing the pits very easy. Cut the cherries in half.
Fresh mint. Using fresh mint leaves takes this summer fruit salad recipe to the next level.
Lime juice. You can squeeze the limes directly onto the salad then toss or squeeze the limes into a bowl and pour on the juice. I use a handheld citrus juicer for this.
How to make Summer Fruit Salad
STEP 1. Prepare the fruit
Cube the watermelon, quarter the strawberries and halve the cherries. Rinse raspberries and allow to dry on paper towels to help prevent them becoming soggy.
STEP 2. Combine & Toss
Add all the fruit to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle on the mint and lime juice; toss to combine.
Serve at room temperature or chill before serving.
Variations
Like more lime flavor? Add some lime zest on top when serving.
Make it a tropical fruit salad. Any favorite tropical fruits will work in this fresh fruit salad recipe too. Try mango, pineapple, papaya. Banana is great too but will oxidize (turn brown) so won't retain the best texture or color if not eaten immediately.
Make it a rainbow! Choose colorful fruit to make it a rainbow of bright colors. Fresh citrus fruits, stone fruits
Change it up for holidays. Make it for the Christmas season swapping in green kiwi fruit for the seasonal cherries and watermelon. Add some blueberries and dragon fruit for Fourth of July.
Tips
Pick really ripe fruit. Ripe fruit will be naturally sweet and don't require any sweeteners to be added. If it still needs a touch of sweetness add just a little honey or maple syrup.
Use it in a smoothie! If you have leftover fruit use it up by adding to a smoothie. The subtle mint flavor is delicious.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The fruit salad is best in the 1-2 days.
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Recipe
Summer Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups raspberries (2 6-ounce containers), rinsed and dried on paper towels
- 3 cups strawberries (1 16-ounce container) hulled, rinsed and quartered
- 3 cups cubed watermelon
- 2 cups halved pitted cherries
- Juice from 2 limes aproximately ¼ cups
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Combine the raspberries, strawberries, watermelon and cherries in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle on the chopped mint and lime juice. Toss to fully mix and coat the fruit.
Allyson Zea says
This fruit salad is perfect for summer and everyone always loves it!
Kara says
I've never paired watermelon with berries before, but it's a tasty combo! I know some of my kids would turn up their noses at the mint, so I served it on the side. It's great with or without it.
Sheila G says
I've made this several times and it's always a hit! I always like to offer healthy choices and this is always perfect.
Kristyn says
Give me all the fruit salad!! I will be eating this all summer! They flavor just bursts in your mouth! Love the mint!
Kara says
My store was out of fresh mint, but it was still dang tasty! I love the tang of the lime with the sweetness of the fruit, especially the watermelon.
Allyssa says
Highly recommended! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing summer fruit salad recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious!
Cara Stokes says
Total crowd pleaser. I love bringing this to parties!
Sienna says
Never thought I would find such perfection in a bowl of fruit!
Beth says
I absolutely adore this recipe. All of that delicious fruit with the addition of mint? This is the perfect summer treat!
Emily Flint says
This salad has all of my favorite fruits! The touch of mint was spectacular...I added a little bit more because it was so good.
Katherine says
The perfect way to enjoy summer fruits! I love the simple dressing of lime juice and mint leaves.
Kali Alexandria says
This is the best seasonal fruit recipe! I will be making this every single week, thank you!
Claudia Lamascolo says
Oh I just love this and it certainly is the perfect salad for a warm summers day!