Summer Fruit Salad

This easy fruit salad recipe will be the star of your next picnic! Berries, peaches, and a zingy ginger dressing make it refreshing and delicious.

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Fruit salad recipe

Over the years, I’ve posted all sorts of salads with fruit (see here, here, or here), but I’ve never posted a classic fruit salad recipe. I don’t know why, but I’m more likely to add summer fruits to savory dishes than to eat them on their own. Peaches on pizza? I’ve tried it. Cherries with cheese? Done. But lately, Jack and I have been getting gorgeous berries from our CSA. They’ve been so sweet, juicy, and flavorful that I’ve had a hard time not devouring them all straight from the box. I wanted to find a really simple, fresh way to show them off. Fruit salad seemed like the perfect solution.

I know what you’re thinking: “Do I really need a recipe for how to make fruit salad?” I don’t blame you. Fruit salad is something than can be made all sorts of ways, with any medley of ripe, in-season fruit. But in my opinion, this recipe is particularly delicious. It features the summer fruits I love most – peaches, berries, and cherries. A zingy citrus-ginger dressing makes it extra-fresh and bright. And because I’ll never be able to get enough basil and mint in the summertime, I scatter a handful of each on top.

Jack and I have been loving this recipe lately, and I hope you enjoy it too! It would be perfect for the 4th of July this weekend, but we’ll continue to make it for cookouts and picnics all summer long.

How to Make Fruit Salad

This fresh fruit salad recipe is quick and easy to make! Here’s what you need to do:

First, make the fruit salad dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lime juice, maple syrup, ginger, and salt.
Then, toss it all together! Add the herbs and cut fruit to a large bowl, pour in the dressing, and toss to combine. When you’re ready to serve, add extra basil and mint for garnish. That’s it!

I like this salad best on the day it’s made, when the fruit is vibrant, firm, and juicy. If you’re making it ahead for a cookout or a picnic, toss it together up to 6 hours in advance, but save the herbs to add at the last minute. The salad is still yummy on day 2, but the cut fruits will soften and release some of their juices overnight.

Fruit Salad Recipe Tips

Shop in season. There are so many reasons to buy in-season produce, but the simplest one is that it tastes the best! For the best flavor, make this recipe in summertime, when peaches, berries, and cherries are sweet and juicy.
Buy the peaches in advance. It’s almost impossible to find a perfect peach at the grocery store, so plan ahead! Buy the peaches in advance and let them ripen for a few days at room temperature. When they’re soft, pop them in the fridge until you’re ready to make this recipe.
Change it up. I adore this combination of berries, cherries, and peaches, but other fruits would be wonderful here too! Replace the peaches with nectarines or mango, or add blackberries, watermelon, apricots, or plums. Choose whatever looks best at the farmers market or store, and try to select fruits with a variety of shapes, colors, and textures.
Taste and adjust. This might seem like a funny tip for a fruit salad post, but like any salad recipe, you want this one to have a balance of flavors you love. If you like your fruit salad sweeter, drizzle in more maple syrup. If you like it brighter, add extra lemon. Have fun, and make it your own!

Serving Suggestions

This easy fruit salad recipe is a perfect summer side dish! Pack it for a picnic or serve it for a cookout with veggie burgers, BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, portobello mushroom burgers, or Caprese sandwiches. If you’re looking for more side dishes to round out the meal, I recommend grilled vegetables, corn on the cob, or any of these summer salad recipes:

Looking for more picnic food ideas? Check out this post!

If you have leftover summer fruit salad, store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. I love to eat the leftovers with Greek yogurt, granola, and a drizzle of honey for breakfast or dessert!