The best fruit salad for summer! Easy to make, super refreshing and the perfect side dish for potlucks and cookouts!
What’s the number one thing you think of when I say summer fruit?? For me, it’s gotta be watermelon! Watermelon smoothies, watermelon side dishes, watermelon flavored drinks – watermelon, watermelon, watermelon…I want it all! Which is why this watermelon summer berry salad is one of my favorites dishes to make during this time of year! It’s sweet and tangy, bursting with fresh fruit flavor and the addition of watermelon gives it that perfect juicy crunchy bite!
Ingredients for watermelon berry salad
- Watermelon: Fresh or pre-cut watermelon both work great for this recipe!
- Cherries: I love using dark red cherries (instead of rainier) for this salad because they’re a little less sweet and won’t overpower the rest of your ingredients. (The dressing is sweet enough!)
- Strawberries: Look for ones that are bright red with no brown spots for the best results.
- Blueberries: A little more mild in flavor, but really helps to tie all your berry flavors together.
- Fresh lime juice: Used as the base of your “dressing”. I would suggest using fresh limes for the best results. Bottled lime juice tends to be more sweet and can throw off the flavors in your salad.
- Lime zest: Adds even more lime flavor!
- Honey: Adds sweetness to the “dressing” and helps to bring out the natural sweetness from your fruit too!
- Poppy seeds: Adds a little nutty twist to your dressing and lots of nutrients too! (Fun fact for the day: Poppy seeds are high in magnesium, calcium and fiber!)
How to make a watermelon summer berry salad
- Cut up your fruit and and make your “dressing”.
- Add your fruit and lime zest to a bowl and drizzle your desired amount of dressing over the top. Toss your salad until everything is fully coated.
- Serve immediately!
How easy is that right?!
Tip: The longer your salad sits, the more moisture it’ll create in the bottom of your bowl. (That’s because there’s such a high moisture content in watermelon!) So if you’re making this fruit salad for a party, I’d recommend throwing it all together right before you leave or even waiting to add the dressing until you get there.
Serving ideas for your watermelon fruit salad
Best part about fruit salads? They’re so versatile! Check out these fun ideas!
- Perfect as a side dish for grilled meats (steak, chicken, burgers, etc)
- A refreshing fruit salad for breakfast or brunch
- Or even scoop some over a slice of angel food cake with homemade whipped cream for a light and summery dessert!
Why you’ll love this watermelon salad recipe
- Quick and easy! Just throw your ingredients together in a bowl, add some dressing and your salad’s good to go! (Use pre-cut watermelon to save on even more time!)
- Healthy & refreshing! Fresh fruit is full of vitamins and antioxidants and the addition of poppy seeds in the dressing adds even more nutrients too!
- Perfect for parties! Everyone loves fruit right?! So this easy fruit salad is always the first dish to go at any potluck, cookout or bbq!
Need it gluten free? Great news, it already is!
Need it dairy free? Great news, it already is!
More fruit salad recipes you might like:
- Watermelon, Blueberry & Feta Salad
- Summer Melon Salad with Prosciutto & Mozzarella
- Fruit Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
- Peach & Blueberry Kale Salad
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Watermelon Summer Berry Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon, cubed
- 1 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
- 1 cups dark red cherries, halved
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ tsp lime zest (about ½ a lime)
- 3 limes, juiced
- 3 tsp honey
- ½ tsp poppyseeds
Instructions
- Whisk your lime juice, honey and poppy seeds together in a bowl. Set it aside.
- Add your fruit and lime zest to a large bowl and drizzle your desired amount of dressing over the top. Toss the salad until everything is fully coasted. Serve immediately.
This dressing is genius. Why had I never put a dressing on a fruit salad before?? I made this (with slightly different fruit) for a dinner with my parents and everyone loved it. So creative!