31 Fruit Salad Recipes Worth Your Consideration
There are the mushy, soggy fruit salads you reluctantly ate as a kid out of respect for your parents’ effort—what a good child you were—and then there are these fruit salad recipes. Full of texture, flavor, and, perhaps, some surprising ingredient combos, these side dishes can hold their own at the dinner table. There are summer fruit salads and winter fruit salads so that you can do right by seasonal fruits: fresh pineapple, blueberries, kiwi, blackberries, mandarin oranges, raspberries, and more. There are sweet fruit salads and savory fruit salads. There are fruit salads fit for brunch and those that pair perfectly with BBQ. And don't sleep on fruit chaat.
Have we said “fruit salads” enough? Okay, let’s get to it: Here are our 31 best fresh fruit salads, no frozen fruit or marshmallows allowed.
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Alex Lau1/31Watermelon With Yogurt, Poppy Seeds, and Fried Rosemary
This potluck-friendly watermelon salad becomes a pleasantly creamy fruit salad when the juices mix with the Greek yogurt—sour cream works, too—in the bottom of your serving bowl. (Bonus: You don’t have to make a salad dressing.)
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani2/31Vitamin C Superfruit Salad
Feeling under the weather? This superfruit salad will give you the perfect jolt of vitamins you need to get back on the path of recovery. (Just looking at it cheers you up, doesn’t it?)
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova3/31Charred Kale With Citrus and Green Tahini
A quick char in a hot skillet tempers the raw edge of kale and balances its vegetal flavor. Use a mix of citrus for more complexity, or stick with one type if you get your hands on something really good.
Photo by Emma Fishman4/31Yum Phonlamai
The interplay between sweet and savory ingredients makes this a refreshing dish. On the sweet side, you’ve got red grapes, apples, and pears. On the savory side, you’ve got fish sauce, shallots, and garlic. Cilantro and fresh mint bridge the two.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene5/31Peaches and Tomatoes With Burrata and Hot Sauce
Tomatoes and burrata work well together. Peaches and hot sauce work well together. But all four of these ingredients, with rice vinegar and tarragon? Trust us: yes.
Photograph by Doaa Elkady, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker6/31Grapefruit Crudo
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li7/31Seared Halloumi Cheese and Nectarine Salad
It’s all about the flavor and textural contrast between the squeaky, salty seared Halloumi and sweet, juicy nectarines in this peak-summer side. A pomegranate dressing brings a deeper level of fruitiness.
Photo by Alex Lau8/31Chicory Salad With Grapefruit and Miso Ranch Dressing
White miso brings a little twist to this creamy riff on ranch dressing—which, by the way, can be made three days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the fridge if you need to cut down day-of prep time.
Photograph by Eva Kolenko. Food styling by Susie Theodorou. Set design by Kira Corbin. On set producer: Jennifer Thomas9/31Mango and Avocado Salad
Before you get started on this recipe, read our guide on how to cut a mango. Then proceed, knowing full well your salad will be as beautiful as the one pictured above.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene10/31Plum Salad With Black Pepper and Parmesan
We’ll take a savory, black pepper-y fruit salad over old-school ambrosia salad any day. This is just as colorful, just as worthy of your Thanksgiving table, and much more modern.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Gözde Eker11/31Jamón and Nectarines With Blue Cheese
Pair fancy ham, funky cheese, and juicy stone fruit with a black-pepper-spiked agrodolce drizzle for an elegant summer side or cocktail snack.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk12/31Watermelon, Endive, and Fig Salad
Leave your large bowl in the cabinet; this fruit salad, if you can call it that, is best served on a platter. A simple mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and flaky salt unite the ingredients, though a honey-lime dressing would work, too.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca13/31Strawberry Salad With Black Pepper-Feta Croutons
The base of this salad dressing is lightly crushed fresh strawberries: the juices mingle with balsamic, oil, and a little honey for summer salad perfection. But it’s the breaded, fried cubes of feta cheese that’ll keep you coming back for more.
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker14/31Radicchio and Apple Salad With Mustardy Croutons
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime15/31Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad
Tangy yet savory Taiwanese black vinegar takes sweet, juicy watermelon into a realm of snackability previously unknown. Serve it alongside grilled chicken thighs with a spicy-sweet marinade or grilled pork chops with green chiles and cilantro.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by JoJo Li16/31Melon and Avocado Crudo
Photograph by Dylan + Jeni, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk18/31Cantaloupe With Spicy Bacon-Cashew Crumble
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.19/31Stone Fruit With Furikake
If your stone fruit is very ripe, you may be able to use pliers—yes, pliers—to extract the pits, giving you free rein to slice them however you’d like.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk20/31Tomato-Watermelon Salad With Turmeric Oil
Important tip: Make sure your fruit is at room temperature. Cold tomato and watermelon will cause the spiced coconut oil to seize.
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Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.21/31Mango With Fried Shallots
The best thing about this spicy, salty, sweet, and crunchy Thai-inspired mango salad, you can buy the fried shallots online. Or, if you’d prefer, you can make them yourself.
Photo by Gentl and Hyers, food Styling by Susie Theodorou, prop Styling by Nina Lalli23/31Fresh Fruit With Cheese and Peppery Nuts
Make this fail-safe combination of sweet-juicy fruit, crunchy-salty nuts, and chewy-fatty cheese your all-season easy fruit salad template. We love a mix of clementines, ricotta salata, and pistachios for winter; Bosc or D’Anjou pears, Parmesan, and hazelnuts for fall; persimmon, mild blue cheese, and pecans for spring; and figs, honey toasted walnuts, and Manchego for summer.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco and Tom Cunanan, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime25/31Tomato and Mango Salad in Aguachile
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk26/31Honeydew Salad With Ginger Dressing and Peanuts
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene27/31Watermelon With Lime Dressing and Peanuts
Speaking of presentation, the jagged, irregular chunks of fruit in this recipe feel more modern than retro cantaloupe cubes and honeydew balls. Play around with the shapes as well as the citrus; orange juice, for example, can work if you don’t have limes on hand.
Alex Lau29/31Mango and Cucumber Chow
This tropical fruit salad would be a delicious accompaniment to jerk chicken, a sizzling hot day, and a Planter’s Punch or Dark and Stormy cocktail. Just saying.
Alex Lau30/31Watermelon and Jicama Salad With Jalapeño and Lime
We call this dish a “hand salad” because you can pick up the 2½x½-inch batons of watermelon and jicama with your hands, just like eating a bag of chips…almost.
Alex Lau31/31Watermelon and Prosciutto With Mint and Toasted Almonds
Watermelon and prosciutto may seem an unlikely pair, but the salty-sweet mix will make this your new go-to fruit salad recipe. And the crunchy almonds on top? Chef’s kiss. When you’re done, try prosciutto with peaches on a picnic-ready sandwich.
