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This homemade vegan fruit salad tossed in lime juice is a delectable combination of sweet and tart for a healthy side dish. It’s a whole-food plant-based recipe, with no oil, no refined sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and easily adaptable.
The recipe uses a pop of lime zest and juice to let those naturally sweet summer fruits shine! If you enjoy homemade fruit salads, you also might like this recipe for summer berry salad.
Our fruit salad is incredibly flavorful and simple to put together. It’s decadent enough for special occasions and easy enough for Sunday breakfast. It also works well as a healthy dessert, a nice addition to lunch, or for potlucks.
It’s been such a hit with my family that we’ve been making it for years. It's also an easy way to get kids to eat a variety of fruits.
Ingredients
- I use mandarin oranges from a jar that’s packed in juice. Drain well before adding to the fruit salad.
- Use ripe bananas (that are bright yellow), brown ones will be soft and mushy, while green ones won’t be sweet enough.
- The kiwis add a little more tartness to the dish, peel, and either slice or chop them. If they're large I like to quarter the slices.
- The strawberries can be sliced or quartered. Make sure they are free of mold, and bruises (dark spots), and have a vibrant color.
- Use red grapes, which are sweeter than green. Use only plump ones that are free of soft spots.
- Only zest the green parts of the lime, the white pith underneath can be bitter.
Tips
- A Microplane works great for zesting citrus.
- No sweetener is added to this vegan fruit salad because the fruit is sweet enough, but if you prefer you can add a little maple syrup to sweeten up this homemade fruit salad.
- After washing the fruit, dry it well to not add any additional liquid to the salad.
I wouldn’t recommend making this fruit salad with frozen fruit, since once thawed they can be mushy. Frozen mango does seem to hold up fine, so it might be an exception.
Fresh fruit is best, but if the ingredients in the recipe are not in season when you make the salad they can be substituted for a variety of in-season fruit.
Making the Salad in Advance and Storage
The fruit can be chopped the day before (except for the bananas) and stored separately. Wait on adding the zest and juice until the day it’s consumed. The salad is best eaten the day it’s made, but if needed leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
If storing leftovers, please keep in mind that the fruit will soften and release some of its liquid. It’s still edible but the texture gets lost from the fruit soaking in lime juice. The bananas start to get mushy when stored, so if you needed it to last a couple of days keep that in mind.
How to Make Fruit Salad
Prep your fruit by slicing the bananas into coins, cut the grapes in half, then quarter or slice the strawberries. Peel the kiwis and slice or quarter them. Then, toss them into a bowl with the oranges. Next zest the lime, and then juice it. Add your lime zest and juice to the fruit and gently toss everything together.
More Vegan Fruit Salads
As always, I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for raw vegan fruit salad!
Originally published on October 7, 2018, updated photos and content on May 7, 2021.
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Vegan Fruit Salad with Lime Juice
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This homemade vegan fruit salad tossed in lime juice is a delectable combination of sweet and tart for a healthy side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, sliced into coins
- 2 cups (300 g) red grapes, halved
- 2 cups (260 g) strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup (190 g) mandarin oranges segments, I use the ones from a jar packed in juice
- 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
- 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
Instructions
- If you’re using mandarin oranges from a jar, drain before measuring.
- Then add the sliced bananas, grapes, strawberries, oranges, and kiwis to a large bowl.
- Zest the lime, then juice it and add it to the fruit.
- Toss and serve, it’s best consumed the day it’s made.
Notes
The fruit can all be chopped one day in advance, except for the banana. Wait to toss with the banana, lime juice, and zest until the day you serve the salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Side Dish
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan fruit salad, raw vegan fruit salad, easy fruit salad, plant based fruit salad
Mary
I love the lime zest and juice with fruit, so simple and flavorful!
★★★★★
Allie
I'm so glad you enjoyed the fruit salad!