Refreshing, crisp, and juicy summer fruits tossed in a light and creamy lemon poppyseed dressing? Yes please! This Summer Fruit Salad hits all the right notes for the season.
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Ingredients
- Adaptations/Variations
- How to Make Summer Fruit Salad
- Tip for Success
- More Fruit Recipes
The Story Behind the Recipe
Not much of an exciting story, here! Basically, I’ve always loved making fruit salads with creamy yogurt-based dressings, and I thought few summery fruits tossed in a light, citrusy dressing would be perfect for the season … and for some reason, I’d been into poppyseeds lately – especially the lemon poppyseed combo.
So I stirred some lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppyseeds along with a vanilla yogurt … just as I suspected! YUM.
Then, I tossed in a bunch of fresh fruit, and yep. So good.
The end of an ultra-exciting story about how I developed this summer fruit salad.
(Seriously, though, you need to try this).
Ingredients
For the summer fruit salad:
- Pineapple – I like to use fresh pineapple, but canned will work in a pinch instead.
- Honeydew melon – I love juicy honeydew in this salad, and the pale green is so pretty.
- Red grapes – Seedless please! Green will work, too.
- Nectarines – Juicy nectarines scream “summer!” Peeled peaches will work too.
- Plums – The summery stone fruit is juicy and perfect in this summer fruit salad.
- Blueberries – I love the color and sweet burst of flavor that blueberries add.
For the creamy lemon poppyseed dressing:
- Vanilla yogurt – Your favorite dairy or non-dairy vanilla yogurt.
- Lemon juice & zest – Zest your lemon with a microplane grater, then cut it in half and juice it. Done!
- Poppyseeds
Adaptations/Variations
Honestly, while I adore the combo listed above, you can add whatever summer fruits you like to this one! Swap in blackberries, cantaloupe, green grapes, peaches … sky’s the limit.
For the dressing, make it dairy-free & vegan by simply swapping in a dairy-free yogurt.
How to Make Summer Fruit Salad
First, mix up the dressing by whisking together the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppyseeds.
Lemon poppyseed fruit salad dressing being mixed up with a whisk.
Add all your fruit to a big bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top. Toss and enjoy!
Tip for Success
- Keep the dressing and fruit separate until right before serving. This helps keep the fruit crisp and fresh.
More Fruit Recipes
- Fall Fruit Salad
- Overnight Berry Baked Oatmeal
- Strawberry Chia Jam
- Strawberry Salsa
- Berry Yogurt Parfaits
- Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie
Summer Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2/3 cup vanilla yogurt (about 5 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon poppyseeds
Fruit Salad:
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple (cubed)
- 1 cup honeydew melon (cubed)
- 1/2 cup red grapes (halved)
- 2 ripe nectarines (pitted and cubed)
- 1 black or red plum (pitted and cubed)
- 1/3 cup blueberries
Garnishes:
- Thinly sliced lemon
- Fresh mint
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppyseeds. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- Add the fruit. Toss gently with a spatula to coat the fruit with the yogurt dressing. Pour into your serving bowl and garnish with a couple of lemon slices and a few fresh mint leaves if desired. Serve.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
