Name: Pam's Summer Fruit Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 cups berries (whole or diced); 2 cup grapes (halved or whole); 1 orange (peeled and diced or); 15 ounce can of mandarin oranges (drained); 2 cups diced pineapple; 1 kiwi (peeled and diced); 1/2 cup fruit salad dressing (optional)

Recipe

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This summer fruit salad has the elements it needs: juicy, colorful, refreshing, and the perfect way to enjoy ripe fruit at its peak.

This is the fruit salad I bring to every summer get-together, and it always disappears fast! It's vibrant, juicy, and comes together in minutes.

Easy Fruit Salad

Living in New Orleans, fruit salads show up at just about every summer gathering, from backyard BBQs to block parties. I’ve always wondered why my neighbor Pam's version tasted so much better than everyone else's.

Turns out, she had a trick: start with the freshest fruit you can find, and don't overthink the combos, plus a simple fruit salad dressing that takes it to the next level.

Ingredients

The best fruit salad features diced fruit, whole fruits, and a mix of juicy, sweet, and small pieces of something tart that make your mouth water with every bite.

Berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries.
Juicy & Sweet: grapes, peaches, pineapple, or mango.
Citrus and tart: orange, mandarins, kiwi.

Can you use apples?

Diced apples, just like sliced bananas, brown when exposed to air so while they’re delicious, I don’t recommend using them in a summer fruit salad that won’t be enjoyed immediately.

Using frozen fruit

Most frozen fruits, such as berries, retain a lot of water and lose some of their texture after thawing, so I don’t recommend them for making fruit salad. Diced mango, peaches, and pineapple chunks are the exception because they hold their texture well.

summer fruit salad in a bowl with dressing

Make Ahead Tips

This summer fruit salad is super easy to whip up in 10 minutes, so just keep in mind these tips if making it ahead:

Avoid any fruit that browns
Apples, pears, and bananas brown fast, so try to avoid them if you’re not serving the fruit salad immediately. If using, add a little pineapple juice or lemon juice to slow down the browning process.

Let it chill
This salad is best enjoyed cold, so make it at least 1 hour in advance to allow it enough time to chill. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Pam’s Summer Fruit Salad

top view of summer fruit salad in a bowl

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10

Chill: 1

Total Time: 1 10

This summer fruit salad has the elements it needs: juicy, colorful, refreshing, and the perfect way to enjoy ripe fruit at its peak.

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

2 cups berries, whole or diced
2 cup grapes, halved or whole
1 orange, peeled and diced or
15 ounce can of mandarin oranges, drained
2 cups diced pineapple
1 kiwi, peeled and diced
½ cup fruit salad dressing, optional

Instructions

Prep:

This salad can be enjoyed with or without the dressing. If making the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup orange juice, and the zest of 1 lemon.
Wash and peel all the fruit and add it to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss to combine.

Chill:

Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Notes

This salad can be built with just about any fruit you have on hand, always mixing the size and textures of the fruit. Plan on about 1 cup of fruit per person; it will disappear quickly!