This Pineapple Fruit Salad with Melon is perfect for summer, and will add color to your dinner table! This is no ordinary fruit salad, and the secret lies in the juicy honey and mint dressing.
If you love fruity desserts do try this ever so popular Orange Bundt Cake or this delicious Quick Strawberry Mousse.
So...I have a confession to make. I'm not really a fruit person. Like, if you offer me chocolate or a piece of fruit, I will always, always go for the chocolate. Because chocolate is superior to anything. For example, I would definitely choose this Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake if given a choice between the two.
But lately, I've been trying to add more fruit to my diet. And this fruity juicy bowl has quickly become my favorite way to eat lots of fresh and delicious fruit altogether. And it's so pretty too!
Speaking of fruit and chocolate, can I make another confession? I really do not like combining fruit and chocolate together. So like chocolate orange or strawberry chocolate desserts simply do not work for me. Please, let's keep the two apart, okay? Thank you. Lol. :p
On that note, this Orange Bundt Cake is another delicious recipe that I would always pair with a good cup of steamy hot tea.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Eat the Rainbow: I bet you've heard this sentence time and again. I can guarantee you that eating this pineapple fruit salad is the most fun and literal way to eat the rainbow. Move over skittles!
Versatility: This recipe is so versatile, you can add whatever fruit you like or have on hand.
Four ingredient dressing: The dressing is NOT to be missed in this recipe. Sure, you can just toss together a few fruits and call it a day. But if you make this simple yet delicious dressing, it will take this salad to an epic level!
Kid-friendly: This fruity bowl is so colorful and interesting, that it'll definitely tempt the kids to give it a try!
What You'll Need
The Fruits:
- Strawberries: Choose big juicy and ripe strawberries. Avoid any strawberries with yellow spots or mold.
- Kiwi: I normally use green kiwi, but did you know that there are gold kiwis too? The flesh is yellow, and they are so sweet!
- Pineapple: Using fresh pineapple is best, but you can also use canned pineapple in a pinch. I normally buy precut pineapple rings at the produce section in the grocery store, but I've also added instructions on how to peel and chop a whole pineapple.
- Honeydew melon: Or switch it up with a juicy watermelon.
- Grapes: I love buying seedless grapes at the grocery store, to make it that much more fun to eat this salad.
- Blueberries: You can also use other berries such as raspberries or even blackberries!
- Pomegranate seeds: I absolutely love pomegranate seeds for the pop of color and flavor they add to this recipe.
For the Dressing:
- Pineapple juice
- Honey
- Fresh lime or lemon juice
- Fresh mint
How to Peel and Cut a Kiwi
- Cut off both ends of the kiwi.
- Place the kiwi upright on the cutting board, and using a sharp serrated knife start peeling the skin off from all sides. You can also use a peeler, but I find that a bit hard as the skin can be sometimes tough.
- Slice it into desired size. For this pineapple salad I cut it into bite sized chunks.
How to Peel and Cut a Whole Pineapple
- Lie down the pineapple on its side on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom.
- Place the pineapple so that its standing on the flat end and slice it in half.
- The pineapple will have a core in its center. Line up your knife next to the core, and slice down and inword to cut the core and remove it.
- After removing the core from both halfs of the pineapple, slice each half into another half, making quarters.
- Take each quarter, and slice it right down the middle but don't cut through the skin completely. Now rotate the quarter side ways, and make 1 inch slices almost all the way down until you get to the skin.
- Using the edge of your knife slide it right between the skin of the pineapple and the flesh to loosen up all the pieces. Repeat the same with all quarters.
How to Peel and Cut a Whole Melon
- Cut off both ends of the melon.
- Then stand it on a cutting board, and slice it in half using a sharp knife.
- Scoop out the seeds using a spoon, and slice the halfs into quraters.
- Cut the quarters into eighths and you will have thing wedges.
- Take each wedge, and make vertical 1-inch slices.
- Using your knife, slice through between the rind and the flesh of the melon, and you will have bite sized pieces of melon perfect for your pineapple salad!
- Repeat with all the wedges.
How to Make This Fruit Salad
Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the pineapple juice, honey, lime juice, and freshly chopped mint. Set aside.
Chop the fruits: Wash and chop the fruits.
Combine: Place all the fruits in a mixing bowl and mix.
Coat: Pour over the prepared dressing and mix well until all the fruits are coated.
Chill: Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Variation Ideas
This is such a versatile fruit salad, and you can switch up the fruits to your liking. Here are some of my favorite fruits to add to this salad:
- If mangoes are in season, they will add a delicious sweeteness to this salad. You know I love my mangoes!
- Switch up the melon. Use a canatloupe, green melon or even watermelon.
- You can even add some sweet mandarin oranges chopped into chunks.
- For the dressing you can change things up by adding fresh orange juice or using fresh basil instead of fresh mint.
- If you're looking to add even more pizzazz to this salad, you can even grill pineapple rings and then chop into chunks. It'll make the salad even more spectacular than it is.
- Serve in a pineapple bowl to make the presentation look even prettier. Here is a link to a tutorial on How to Make a Pineapple Bowl.
Serving Suggestions
I love this fruit salad as a snack, but it's so versatile you can pretty much have it as breakfast topped with some yogurt and granola or paired as a side with grilled chicken!
Recipe Tips
- Seasonal Fruit: Try to use a variety of seasonal fruit, and don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations.
- Zest: To add more kick to the dressing, you can even add a little bit of lime or lemon zest.
- Ripe Fruit: This should go without saying, but definitely use ripe fruits for this salad for best results.
- Precut Fruit: If you don't like all this chopping, you can certainly use precut sold at the grocery stores.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, made with a variety of fresh fruit, it is definitely pretty healthy!
Yes, it can be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
For best results, use fresh fruit that's in season. Frozen fruit tends to get mushy when it's thawed.
Yes, you certainly can use it. But I think fresh gives the best results!
Enjoy! 🙂
More Salad Recipes
Fruit Chaat - Simple Fruit Salad
Easy Creamy Macaroni Summer Macaroni Salad Recipe
Strawberry Kiwi Cheesecake Salad
Note: This post was originally published on Apr 26, 2019. It has been updated for more detailed instructions and recipe tips.
Honey Pineapple Rainbow Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice or lemon juice
- A handful of freshly chopped mint leaves
For the Salad
- 500 grams strawberries hulled and quartered
- 2 kiwis peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 fresh pineapple sliced and cut into chunks
- 1/2 honeydew melon sliced and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup grapes
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, honey, lime juice and freshly chopped mint.
- Add all of the fruit to the mixing bowl, and gently toss together until the the dressing coats all of the fruit nicely.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If mangoes are in season, they will add a delicious sweeteness to this salad.
- Switch up the melon. Use a canatloupe, green melon or even watermelon.
- You can even add some sweet mandarin oranges chopped into chunks.
- For the dressing you can change things up by adding fresh orange juice or using fresh basil instead of fresh mint.
- If you're looking to add even more pizzazz to this salad, you can even grill pineapple rings and then chop into chunks. It'll make the salad even more spectacular than it is.
Love the dressing for this fruit salad and the selection of fruit is SO delicious!
ooooh thanks for all the tips! This is the perfect fruit salad!
This salad is so refreshing and healthy. Perfect dinner on weekdays.
I am a huge fan of pineapple and am in love with this ultra fresh recipes. That dressing is just so good!
So pretty! That dressing sounds absolutely delicious!
I'm making this for a family get-together this weekend. Could I use watermelon instead if honeydew and extra strawberries instead of kiwi (picky kids)?
Gorgeous! I usually opt for the chocolate when given the choice, but it's not because I don't like fruit. Really, it's that most places serve fruit (especially melons) underripe and no one wants that. Don't worry, I'll keep my chocolate covered strawberries all to myself and we can share some of your yummy fruit salad instead. 😉
pineapple and lime sounds like a match made in heaven!!
This is a lovely, lovely salad.
Such a wonderful combination of fruit flavors and colors.
Pretty sure you just made my new favorite fruit salad EVER!!! Love that this is made with zero processed sugars. And lime 🙂
Sooooo.... how much could I pay you to deliver this to me right now? haha! It looks so refreshing!
Haha...I wish I could but it's super easy to make...I hope you try it 🙂