Homemade Fruit Salad

This homemade fruit salad tossed in lime juice is a delectable combination of sweet and tart for a healthy vegan side dish.  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.

This salad with lime 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 or a nice addition to lunch.

Ingredients for Vegan Fruit Salad

• I use mandarin oranges from a jar that’s packed in juice.  Drain well before adding to the fruit salad.
• Use ripe bananas, 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 slice or quartered. Make sure they are free of mold, 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 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.

Can I use frozen fruit?

I wouldn’t recommend using frozen fruit, once thawed they can be mushy.  Fresh fruit is best, but if these ingredients 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 consumed the day it’s made, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.  The fruit will soften and release some of its liquid when you store it.

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. Next, toss them into a bowl with the oranges. Before I zest my lime, I roll it on the counter. This helps to break up the pulp inside of the lime to get more juice.  Next zest the lime, and then juice it.  Add your lime zest and juice to the fruit and gently toss everything together.

If you enjoy homemade fruit salads, you also might like this recipe for fresh berry salad.  As always, I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for vegan fruit salad!

Originally published on October 7, 2018, updated photos and content on May 7, 2021.

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