Get ready to taste the rainbow with this vibrant and refreshing Rainbow Fruit Salad recipe. Packed with a colorful assortment of nature's candy, this healthy fruit salad is not only a feast for the eyes but also a burst of flavor in every bite.
Start by gathering a variety of your favorite fresh fruit. For a little extra zing, toss the fruit in our light fruit salad glaze. Mix it all up, and voila! It’s a perfect warm weather side dish or healthy dessert that both adults and kids love.
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Rainbow Fruit Salad
This simple Fruit Salad recipe is a colorful, refreshing side dish or dessert that can be prepared quickly and enjoyed all summer long. You can use the suggested selection of rainbow colored fresh fruit below, or any of your favorite seasonal or tropical fruits.
I love to serve this colorful Fruit Salad with a lightly sweet citrus dressing that not only tastes yummy but also adds a nice glaze to the fruit. It’s the perfect dish to bring to summer BBQs, potlucks, and 4th of July parties because it’s quick, easy, and always a hit.
And if it's winter, no problem! We've got you covered with this tasty Winter Fruit Salad. And if you're looking or more fresh fruit recipes, try our Fresh Fruit Cake and our Rainbow Fruit Kabobs.
Rainbow Fruit Salad Ingredients
- Pineapple - I prefer fresh pineapple to canned pineapple, although you can use canned if you want. To cut pieces from a fresh pineapple, first remove the outer rind and eyes. From there, you can cut ½” slices, using a cookie cutter to remove the inner core. Then dice the pineapple slices into smaller bite-sized pieces for the salad.
- Tangerines - fresh tangerines are a great option because they are so sweet and juicy. You could also use navel oranges, cara cara oranges, or even blood oranges. For smaller pieces, Cuties or mandarin oranges work great.
- Strawberries - depending on the size of strawberries, I like to cut them into quarters or halves.
- Blueberries - blueberries should be nice and plump with few wrinkles.
- Mangos - ripe mangoes should have just a little give to them when you squeeze. If they are either super hard or very easy to squish, it’s probably better to pass because the flavor won’t be nearly as good.
- Raspberries - raspberries are so delicious and add such great color, but they can also be a little bit difficult to add to a fruit salad because they get mushy so quickly. Make sure to choose firm raspberries and purchase them only a day or so in advance.
- Green Apples - you can either leave your apples unpeeled or peel them. Since apples turn brown soon after cutting, make sure to have some fresh lemon juice handy so that you can put the diced apple pieces into cold lemon water while you make the rest of the salad.
Fruit Salad Glaze
- Orange Juice - this adds great sweetness and acidity to the fruit salad. Fresh orange juice tastes best, if possible.
- Sugar - you can use all granulated sugar, or add a bit of honey or agave. This adds some sweetness, but it also cooks down and turns the dressing into a nice glaze that will stick to the fruit.
- Lime Juice - fresh lime juice has the very best flavor and adds great acidity to the dressing.
How to Make This Healthy Fruit Salad Recipe
- Prep the fruit. Prepare the pineapple, tangerines, strawberries, blueberries, mangos, raspberries, and apples, by washing, slicing, and dicing into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside while you make the fruit salad dressing.
- Make the dressing. To make the glaze, heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and add the orange juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Off the heat, add the fresh lime juice. Stir, then let the glaze cool to room temperature. Once cooled you can use immediately or transfer to the fridge until you are ready to use.
- Toss and serve. To serve, arrange fruit in a bowl or serving dish and drizzle the citrus glaze over the top. Add enough to just lightly coat the fruit. Gently toss and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Fruit Salad Tips and Tricks
- If you plan to add super ripe or more delicate fruits like raspberries it’s a good idea to add them after mixing the glaze with the rest of the fruit. This way they won’t get squished.
- For the most flavorful salad, try and pick ripe fruit that is in season.
- Using a mixture of all different colored fruits creates a beautiful rainbow fruit salad.
- If you want to make this into more of a dessert, try serving in individual plastic or glass cups with layers of mini marshmallows and Cool Whip or whipped cream.
Easy Fruit Salad Recipe Variations
There are endless possibilities when it comes to Fruit Salad variations. Feel free to get creative and mix and match your favorite fruits and flavors to create your own fruit rainbow.
- Tropical Fruit Salad: Use fruits like mango, papaya, kiwi, and passion fruit. To enhance the tropical flavors, try drizzling some coconut milk or sprinkle shredded coconut on top.
- Citrus Fruit Salad: Combine segments of oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, and tangerines. Squeeze out any remaining juice from the fruit and mix it with a touch of lemon juice and honey for a refreshing citrus fruit salad glaze.
- Berry Blast Salad: For a burst of vibrant colors and flavors, focus on berries. Combine strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. To add some crunch, sprinkle a handful of chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts on top. A drizzle of honey or a dollop of yogurt can also complement the sweetness of the berries.
- Minty Melon Salad: Cube cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon and toss them together. Add a handful of fresh mint leaves and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
- Spicy Fruit Salad: If you're feeling adventurous, try adding a hint of spice to your fruit salad. Chop up some jalapenos or chili peppers and mix them with fruits like mango, pineapple, and papaya.
- Savory Fruit Salad: For a unique twist, experiment with savory flavors in your fruit salad. Combine fruits with other savory salad ingredients like avocado, cucumber, tomato, and red onion. Finish with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to make Fruit Salad ahead of time, I recommend prepping the fruit only up to a few hours in advance. However, you can make the glaze dressing up to a few days ahead of time. That way you won’t have to wait for the glaze to cool.
Some fruits such as apples will oxidize once cut, causing them to turn brown. The best way to keep fruits like apples from turning brown is to soak them in cold water with fresh lemon juice until you are ready to use them. You can also squeeze straight lemon juice over the cut fruit if you don’t mind the flavor.
I don’t recommend using frozen fruit to make fruit salad because once it thaws it tends to become messy and mushy. Frozen fruit is much better for making smoothies, pies, or other baked goods rather than eating as is.
Depending on the types and ripeness of the fruit you add to your Fruit Salad, leftovers should last between 1-3 days. Some fruits such as raspberries are more delicate and will crush easily so if you plan to have leftovers you may want to leave them out and let people add their own.
Storing Fruit Salad
- Refrigerator: leftover Fruit Salad can be stored in the fridge for between 1-3 days. The amount of time it stays fresh depends on the fruits you added and how ripe they are.
Rainbow Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pineapple diced
- 3 large Tangerines sliced
- 2 cups Strawberries quartered
- 2 cups Blueberries
- 2 large Mangos peeled and cut into ½" pieces
- 1½ cups Raspberries
- 2 large Green Apples diced (soak in lemon juice and water before adding)
Fruit Salad Dressing
- ⅔ cup Orange Juice
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 large Lime juiced
Instructions
- Prepare the pineapple, tangerines, strawberries, blueberries, mangos, raspberries, and apples, by washing, slicing, and dicing into bite-sized pieces.
- Transfer to a large bowl and set aside while you make the fruit salad dressing.
- To make the glaze, heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and add the orange juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for 1 minute before removing from the heat.
- Off the heat, add the fresh lime juice. Stir, then let the glaze cool to room temperature. Once cooled you can use immediately or transfer to the fridge until you are ready to use.
- To serve, arrange fruit in a bowl or serving dish and drizzle the citrus glaze over the top. Add enough to just lightly coat the fruit. Gently toss and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This simple Fruit Salad Rainbow is the perfect refreshing side dish or dessert to serve all summer long. It's filled with colorful fruits all tossed in a lightly sweet citrus glaze.
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