Summer Fruit Salad

Celebrate summertime produce by making a Summer Fruit Salad with Watermelon! This easy side dish calls for fresh watermelon, berries and more. And it’s got a zesty fruit salad dressing to bring it all together. This watermelon fruit salad recipe is great to serve alongside breakfast and brunch or even at a potluck!

Fruit Salad.

You either love it or you hate it. (And chances are, your feelings on it probably center around the fruit that’s in it, as well as the dressing it’s tossed in.)

I’m one of those people who loooooooves using seasonal ingredients to make the best, freshest fruit salad around.

This Watermelon Fruit Salad is where it’s at for the summer months.

Why I love this recipe:

Before we dive in, let me be clear: We’re not using marshmallow fluff in this fruit salad. If you’re looking for a recipe that features that, this isn’t it.

If you’re looking for a recipe that’s quick and easy? This recipe is for you.

This crisp and refreshing fresh fruit salad calls for seasonal fruits with a light, slightly sweet vinaigrette.

Fresh watermelon is tossed with all the berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries) and grapes. And then we drizzle it with a decadent lime-honey vinaigrette and garnish with fresh mint to take it to another level.

Whether you serve this alongside pancakes or at a barbecue, your people are bound to be thrilled!

Other summer fruit recipes to try: Blackberry Peach Hand Pies | Strawberry Pancakes with Dark Chocolate Drizzle | Raspberry Yogurt Fruit Dip | Ricotta Crostini with Grilled Peaches | Dairy Free Blackberry Cobbler

Want to host your friends this summer and serve this dish? Head on over to my Outdoor Entertaining Recipe Index for some ideas!

What you’ll need to make this recipe:

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• Sharp knife and cutting board
• A large mixing bowl
• Citrus juicer or reamer
• Mason jar

Here’s what you need:

• Watermelon — you want the freshest seedless watermelon you can get your hands on it. Use a sharp knife to cut it in a ½” dice for uniformness.
• Fresh berries — we’re using a combination of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in this fruit salad. Feel free to add more of one and less of another if you like one better than another.
• Red grapes — my younger daughter chose these for their color. Any type of grape works here if you prefer green grapes or even black grapes. I do not recommend using cotton candy grapes, as they’ll change the flavor of this fruit salad.
• Lime — we need this for its zest, as well as its juice. Store-bought shelf stable lime juice does not yield the same wonderful citrus flavors, so please juice your own.
• Honey simple syrup — this is going to provide the sweetness in the fruit salad dressing. I love the honey undertones of it, but you can use regular simple syrup if you don’t have this on hand.
• Fresh mint leaves — these are part of our garnish and add a lovely pop of color, as well as flavor to the final fruit salad

How do you make Summer Fruit Salad?

Clean and chop the fruit. This means washing all the berries and slicing the strawberries. You’ll also dice the watermelon and half the grapes. Toss ‘em into a large bowl.

Make the dressing. In a mason jar, measure in the lime zest, honey simple syrup and lime juice. Shake until combined.

Dress the fruit salad. Drizzle the dressing on top. Add the mint leaves, too, and toss to combine.

It’s ready to serve, so enjoy immediately!

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

I love a recipe that’s versatile for all times of day. And as someone who’s got kids, I’m all about serving this easy fruit salad recipe morning, mid-day and evening because, well, who doesn’t want to eat more fruit, especially in the summertime?

If you’re planning to share this recipe with friends this summer, I think that’s a brilliant idea because it makes a decently large fruit salad!

Here are a few tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible:

• Pre-chop and clean all your fruit. You can do this up to a day in advance. Be sure to pat the berries dry before storing in the fridge so they hold their shape.
• Make the dressing in advance, too. Simply shake it in a mason jar and pop that into the fridge. Keep it cold, then drizzle on top of the fruit salad right before serving.
• Customize it to your tastebuds. If you don’t love blueberries as much, consider adding raspberries in place of them. The beauty in this fruit salad is that all these summer fruits play nicely together, so you can mix and match them based off what you like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips for the best fruit salad with watermelon:

• How to store fruit salad: Place in an airtight storage container. Keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. The fruit will become softer as it sits in the dressing.
• Prep it in advance. Clean, slice and chop the fruit early. Store it in the fridge covered. Make the dressing early, too, and store in a mason jar in the fridge. Toss together when it’s time to eat.

What to pair with this recipe:

• Buttermilk Pancakes and other breakfast items
• Backyard barbecue dishes, like Memphis Style Ribs (Dry Rub Oven Baked Ribs Recipe), Instant Pot BBQ Baked Beans and Classic Potato Salad