When it’s nice out and you’re craving something light, this easy fruit salad with orange poppy seed dressing hits the spot!
Made with a variety of ripe fruit, plus a zesty orange dressing, my fruit salad is loaded with naturally sweetness and just the right amount of tang. It’s beautiful and definitely deserves a spot on the table!
When making a fruit salad, you don’t really need a strict recipe. You just use whatever you have in your fridge. That said, I’m sharing my favorite fruit combination ideas, along with my go-to fruit salad dressing.
When choosing fruits, I like to 1) include a variety of colors, 2) pick ones that hold their shape and texture, and 3) have a balance of sweet and citrusy.
Sometimes I’ll even go the extra mile and throw them on the grill when making my Grilled Fruit Kabobs or Grilled Peach Salad, but on days when I just want a bowl full of fresh fruit, this simple fruit salad recipe is the best!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweet. Just fresh fruit and honey!
- So pretty! All the colors of the rainbow in one bowl.
- Honey orange poppy seed dressing. Made with just 3 ingredients, it’s a sweet and citrusy addition.
- Versatile. Perfect for dessert, snack, or a BBQ side dish. It’s great for breakfast too!
The Fruit Salad Dressing
Although not a must, adding this easy 3-ingredient orange poppy seed dressing really takes it to the next level!
Orange juice, honey, and poppy seeds are all you need. It’s not only quick and easy, but naturally sweetened and delightfully refreshing too!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes from my recipe testing to help you choose the best fruits to make an epic fruit salad. The key is making sure everything is ripe and sweet, so seasonal fruits are your best bet!
- Kiwi: Peel and slice the kiwis. Feel free to cut the rounds in half or dice them up.
- Strawberries: Wash, pat dry, and hull the strawberries.
- Blueberries: I love using jumbo-sized, plump blueberries.
- Pineapple: Cut fresh pineapple into cubes. For convenience, you can buy pre-cut fresh pineapple.
- Grapes: Red or green, whichever you prefer. Look for seedless grapes.
- Mango: Fresh, cut into cubes. The easiest way is to slice the mango on both sides of the large seed, score the flesh into squares, and scoop the cubes from the peel.
- For the orange poppy seed dressing: Freshly squeezed oranges, honey, and poppy seeds (can be found in the baking spices aisle).
More summer fruit options: Peaches or nectarines, cherries (pitted), watermelon honeydew and cantaloupe.
Fall and winter fruit ideas: Apples, citrus, pears, pomegranate, figs, persimmons.
How to Make Fruit Salad
Prepping this fruit salad recipe, including the orange dressing, takes just 15 minutes. And it can also be made ahead!
Step 1: Peel, slice, dice, or chop the fruit as needed.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk the freshly squeezed orange juice with honey and poppy seeds. Adjust to taste.
Step 3: Arrange the pieces of fruit in a large serving bowl and add the prepared dressing. You can also arrange them in layers of alternating colors for a beautiful presentation!
Step 4: Toss with the dressing. Serve fresh!
Tips for Success
- Use seasonal fruit or whatever’s in your fridge! I always pick whatever is in season to ensure the fruit is at its peak sweetness and flavor.
- Avoid watery fruit that might get mushy quickly or dilute the dressing.
- Cut and dice the fruit to about the same size to make it easier to serve.
- Choose a variety of colors for a beautiful presentation!
- If available, try to add the gorgeous fruits: papaya, dragonfruit, or star fruit.
Make Ahead
This is one of the best fruit salad recipes to make ahead. You can prep everything by cutting and storing it in an airtight container in the fridge 1-2 days ahead. But wait until ready to serve to add the dressing.
If you want to use fruits that turn brown quickly (bananas, pears, apples), wait until ready to serve to cut them up.
The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead. Once the dressing has been added, it’s best to serve within an hour or so.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend it. Once frozen fruit thaws, it can become quite mushy.
Sure you can! Honey lime dressing is great. You could also omit the dressing completely, and just drizzle a bit of honey on top.
No, you don’t. It’s a great textural element and is a signature of this dressing, however it can be omitted.
More Summer Fruit Ideas
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Fruit Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 ripe kiwis - peeled and sliced
- 2 cups strawberries - hulled and quartered
- 2 cup blueberries - or blackberries
- 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
- 2 navel oranges - peeled and diced
- 2 cups red or green seedless grapes
- 1 mango - peeled and diced
Orange Poppy Seed Dressing:
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice - from about 1 large orange
- 2 tablespoons honey - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Peel, chop, and dice all the fruit as needed. Arrange in a large serving bowl.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, squeeze the orange (you need about ⅓ cup of juice), and whisk with the honey and poppy seeds. Adjust to taste as needed.
- Toss the fruit with the prepared dressing. Serve fresh!
Notes
- Use seasonal fruit to ensure they are at their peak ripeness and sweetness.
- Cut up the fruit to about the same size to make it easier to serve.
- If you prefer no dressing, omit it. Or finish with a drizzle of honey.
- Make ahead: Cut up the fruit and store in containers 1-2 days ahead. Make the dressing and store separately. When ready to serve, toss with the dressing.
- More summer fruit ideas: Peaches or nectarines, cherries (pitted), watermelon honeydew and cantaloupe.
- Fall and winter fruit ideas: Apples, citrus, pears, pomegranate, figs, persimmons.
- Dressing: Honey lime dressing.
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