Our Most Refreshing Summer Fruit Salad Recipes (2024)

Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling:Claire Spollen

Brighten up your outdoor meals with summer's best fresh fruit salads. Use up the best produce that summer has to offer with these delicious salads that are bursting with flavors and texture. From juicy berries to fresh melons, or even sweet to savory flavors, you can be sure that you'll find a recipe that is perfect for your next summer picnic or cookout.

Summer Melon Salad

Summer Melon Salad Recipe

Bacon in fruit salad isn't weird, trust us. It just makes for the perfect sweet-and-salty combination! Using a small scoop or melon-baller tool makes for perfectly shaped melon spheres in this impressive looking summer salad.

Warmed Berries with Honey and Fresh Cheese

Warmed Berries with Honey and Fresh Cheese Recipe

You may adapt this dessert to your taste by adjusting the blend of berries, the amount of honey, or even the amount of cheese. The idea is luxury in the amount of berries. Fromage blanc is wonderfully subtle; you can sub Greek yogurt, which is tangier.

Tomato-and-Fruit Salad

Tomato-and-Fruit Salad Recipe

This colorful dish captures the best flavors of summer on one cool platter. A fresh basil dressing spiked with orange marmalade merges the sweet with the savory.

Summer Melon and Ham Salad with Burrata and Chile

Summer Melon and Ham Salad with Burrata and Chile Recipe

The musky fruit, salty-sweet ham, and creamy cheese balance one another perfectly. If you can't find burrata, substitute fresh mozzarella instead.

Summer Fig and Watermelon Salad with Feta

Summer Fig and Watermelon Salad with Feta Recipe

Balsamic glaze is a syrup of concentrated, cooked-down, sweetened balsamic vinegar. It adds a tangy element to this refreshing salad. Look for it near the vinegar.

Orange-and-Basil Macerated Cherries

Orange-and-Basil Macerated Cherries Recipe

This light yet satisfying fruit salad is perfectly paired with Ricotta cheese. Fresh and sweet summer cherries shine in this easy salad, and you can also use whichever variety you have on hand.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Recipe

Top fresh pineapple, strawberries, grapes and mango with a sweet and creamy Greek yogurt dressing.

Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber Pickles

Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber Pickles Recipe

Sumac--available at spice stores--adds a subtle piney, tangy note, but don't worry if you can't find it: The salad will still have loads of flavor complexity without it. You could also sub 1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish for the wasabi powder.

Fruit Salad with Honey-Yogurt Sauce

Fruit Salad with Honey-Yogurt Sauce Recipe

Add honey and lime juice to yogurt for a simple fruit dressing for the fruit. Pineapple, kiwi, banana, and flaked coconut give the salad a tropical flair.

Lime-Scented Mango-Strawberry Salad

Lime-Scented Mango-Strawberry Salad Recipe

Heighten the bright flavors of strawberries and mango by tossing the fruit in a tangy lime syrup.

Grilled Watermelon, Mint, and Feta Salad

Grilled Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint Recipe

Your search for the perfect summer side is over—grilled watermelon salad topped with feta and mint balances sweetness and saltiness, making it an excellent complement to a cookout or backyard barbecue. The right amounts of balsamic vinegar and salt work with a little char to make watermelon sing in a completely new way, while olive oil and black pepper tie it all together. To switch things up, try goat cheese instead of feta or serve this atop some fresh arugula, mixed greens, or your favorite salad blend.

mr-ambrosia-fruit-salad

Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Whether you consider it a salad, side dish, or dessert, ambrosia is a holiday classic. It's quick and easy to make and can sit overnight if you like.

Great Green Fruit Salad image

Great Green Fruit Salad Recipe

All green everything—that's the theme of this vibrant, eye-catching fruit salad. Honeydew melon, Granny Smith apples, Bartlett pears, green grapes, and avocado are unified with a delicious honey-Dijon dressing to create what may very well be our favorite fruit salad of all time. A perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy, this monochrome masterpiece is sure to become the talk of your table and likely a new go-to for any level of entertaining. Though we find it to be a delicious addition to such a refreshing, dynamic dish, feel free to leave out the jalapeño if you want to skip the touch of heat.