This fruit salad recipe with fresh mint, crushed walnuts, and a citrus and honey dressing is sweet, tart, fresh, and delicious. Make this summer fruit salad recipe for your next BBQ!
Fruit salad, like any good salad recipe, needs a really good dressing.
To me, fruit salads often miss the mark on one of my essential salad rules: delicious dressing! Naked fruit salads often feel like a smoothie that hasn’t been blended yet. And, while throwing a medley of fresh fruits in a bowl will do the trick in a pinch, this fruit salad recipe takes things up a notch with a sweet-meets-tart dressing.
The lime and honey syrup mixes with fresh berries and cherries to tie all the flavors together, marrying the fruits to make them more balanced and cohesive. Just a splash of rose water or orange blossom water is totally optional but adds a distinctly Mediterranean flair that sets this fruit salad apart and will leave your guests asking for the recipe. In fact, this one was such a hit I included it in my first cookbook!
Table of Contents
What You'll Need
This fruit salad recipe works well with whichever fresh fruits are in season, look for the best available at the market, or whatever you have on hand. Here’s what I use in the late summer and early fall, but feel free to tweak the salad to meet your needs (or for more of a citrus-focus, check out our citrus salad):
- Limes: Make a citrusy dressing to draw the flavors together. Feel free to substitute lemons.
- Honey: Gives balance and body to the dressing. Use a high quality variety that’s on the lighter side, like our Greek Alfa honey.
- Rosewater or orange blossom water (optional): You can leave it off or order our favorite all natural floral waters from our shop. Keep in mind not all rose water is created equal. Look for one without alcohol.
- Fresh fruit: I used a variety of red fruits—cherries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Pomegranate seeds add crunch but you can leave them off if you can’t find any—or grab the seeds that come in the plastic tubs.
- Walnuts: Add crunch and an earthy quality to balance the bright fruit salad.
- Mint: Adds a refreshing quality and is a classic pairing for rosewater.
How to Make Fruit Salad
To make a basic fruit salad, just throw seasonal fruits in a bowl and mix. This recipe takes things a step further, adding a bright dressing, a hint of rose water, and fresh herbs. Here’s how I make this summer fruit salad:
- Make the dressing. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the juice of 3 limes and 3 tablespoons of honey. Stir just until the honey is incorporated and the mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon of rosewater or orange blossom water, if using. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the salad. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of halved cherries, 2 cups of thinly sliced strawberries, 1 cup of blackberries, ½ cup of raspberries, and ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds (if using). Add the dressing and give the fruit a gentle toss to combine.
- Finish and serve. Add â…“ cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons of mint. Gently toss to combine. Transfer the salad to a platter or individual bowls and serve.
Can you Make Fruit Salad Ahead of Time?
To get ahead, mix the fruits in a large bowl. Keep in your refrigerator for up to one day. You can make the dressing a few hours beforehand, cover, and set aside at room temperature. When you’re ready to serve, give the dressing a final whisk, add the herbs and toss with the salad.
What to Serve with Summer Fruit Salad
This sweet-meets-tart fruit salad recipe works best as part of a summer BBQ. Grill sweet corn on the cob, zucchini, and a savory entree. Slightly spicy, smoky grilled harissa chicken will hit all the notes for a big flavor party. Grilled skirt steak or swordfish, with a lemon and garlic marinade would also play well with the bright fruit salad.
More Fruit Salad Recipes
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Fruit Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 3 large limes, juiced (about 6 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon rosewater or orange blossom water (optional)
For the Salad
- 2 cups thinly sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 cup blackberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- ÂĽ cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
- â…“ cup roughly chopped walnuts, raw or toasted
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the lime juice and honey. Stir just until the honey is incorporated and the mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater, if using. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the salad. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and pomegranate seeds (if using). Add the dressing and give the fruit a gentle toss to combine.
- Finish and serve. Add the walnuts and mint and gently toss. Transfer the salad to a platter or individual bowls and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to swap whichever seasonal fruits you have on hand.
- This recipe is reimagined from my first cookbook, which you can find just about wherever books are sold.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.
I had a heart attack on Jan. 1, 2024
Warning from God not to take my life for granted. My friend cooks from your website and told me about all your wonderful recipes. So tonight I will try your cod receipe. My husband is a Diabetic type 2, and needs to lose 50 lbs.
Welcome to The Mediterranean Dish, Sandy! We're honored to be a part of your journey to better health. If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@themediterraneandish.com
I made this over the weekend and it was delicious! The combination of the fruit mixed with the dressing was delicious and brought my mouth to life. My local store did not have Cherries so I substituted Red Grapes and it turned out fine. The only thing I would do differently is cut the Strawberries a little bigger so they don't get too soggy. Also, a big bonus, the next day, the salad creates a tasty juice. Definitely on my favorite list.
Hi, Yurika! Thanks for taking the time to tell us how much you liked the fruit salad. You might also like this Winter Fruit Salad or even this Avocado Citrus dip.
Fantastic salad and love the dressing!
Thanks so much, Sherry!
I will be trying this fruit salad. Love berries and the honey and lime dressing sounds wonderful
Hope you love it, Karen!
I made this tonight, berry season is short where I live so being above to combine them with such a delicious dressing was amazing ! I took your suggestion and had it with grilled chicken seasoned with a Turkish spice blend .
Thanks for taking the time to comment and review, Michelle!
Yummy! Is this from the old cookbook or from the new one?
Hi, Gwen. This is from Suzy's first cookbook. At the moment, that is the only cookbook she has (but hopefully not the last)!