Fruit Salad

When I’m looking for a no-cook side to serve at a summer soirée, I make this classic fruit salad that always stands out amongst all the other side dishes. It’s a medley of colorful, in-season fruit drizzled with a bright honey-lime dressing that brings out the very best in every bite. This fruit salad is filled with ruby-red strawberries, lime green kiwi, plump blueberries, orange wedges, sweet mango, pineapple, and more. The finishing touch is the honey-lime dressing that marries all of the fruit together (don’t worry — the natural sweetness still shines through). This is guaranteed to be a hit with the kids, but everyone will pile it onto their plates. Here’s how to make the very best fruit salad. 

• It’s so colorful and fresh. Juicy burgers and snappy bratwurst are classic cookout fare, but they also lack the bright colors and fresh flavors we crave during summer. Make sure your spread is filled with a rainbow of colors by serving this vibrant fruit salad. 
• It’s simple to make. Chopping all of this wonderful fresh fruit does take a bit of time (just 30 minutes), but it’s not difficult — and the results are worth it! Recruit a helper to make prep go by faster.

• Pineapple: Make sure you pick a ripe pineapple, then cut the pineapple into cubes.
• Berries: You’ll need both strawberries and blueberries. Pick ripe, red strawberries to make sure they are packed with sweet flavor. Plump, sweet blueberries need just a quick rinse before adding to the fruit salad. 
• Kiwi: These fuzzy fruits add green color and a tart flavor to the fruit salad. Here’s how to peel them.
• Oranges: Clementine and mandarin oranges are easy to peel and have less pith than navel oranges. Substitute navel oranges if that’s what you have on hand. 
• Grapes: Red or green is up to you; just make sure you pick up seedless grapes. Halving the grapes may seem tedious (try using this same trick we love for cherry tomatoes), but it makes the fruit salad so much easier to eat. 
• Mango: Dice a firm, ripe mango for an unexpected sweet addition to this fruit salad. 

1. Make the dressing. Whisk honey, lime juice, and clementine or mandarin juice together in the bottom of a large bowl. (If making the fruit salad in advance, make the dressing in a separate jar and wait until serving to toss with the fruit.)
2. Prepare the fruit. Cut pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, clementine or mandarin oranges, and mango into bite-sized pieces. Add everything and the blueberries to the dressing and toss.

• The best fruit salad is made with the freshest ingredients. I avoid adding bananas (too mushy), raspberries (too soft) and apples or pears (too brown) to fruit salad, but beyond that you can add any of your favorite fruits to the salad. Ripe peaches and nectarines, plums, and cherry halves can also be added to the fruit salad when fresh and in-season. 
• I jokingly refer to cantaloupe and honeydew melons as filler fruit because they are usually included to add bulk to fruit salad. Usually, those melons are tough and bland. If you love their flavor, make sure you pick the right melon from the market and taste it before adding to the fruit salad. 
• Instead of honey, use another liquid sweetener like maple syrup or agave nectar for the citrusy dressing. 

Fruit salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days; the strawberries and kiwi will be the first to soften over time. 

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