Summer Fruit Salad

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This gorgeous summer fruit salad is made with stone fruit like peaches, nectarines and cherries, fresh berries and a delicious lemon maple thyme dressing. The dressing elevates everything to a whole new level for a salad you won't be able to stop eating! Perfect as a light side dish, snack or even healthy dessert.

overhead view of summer fruit salad with stone fruit and berries on large white platter.

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🍑 Why We Love This Recipe
🍒 Ingredients
📋 Ingredient Notes
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
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💬 Reviews

🍑 Why We Love This Recipe

Great use of seasonal fruit: Have a lot of various leftover fresh stone fruit and berries? This is the perfect way to use everything up in one recipe!
Endless combinations: you can go crazy with every stone fruit out there (like we did!), or stick to just one or two of your favorites. This would be delicious with just cherries and peaches, or any combination of your favorite summer stone fruit and berries!
Fruit salad, elevated! You might think perfectly ripe summer fruit is perfect as is, but the maple lemon thyme dressing in this salad truly elevates everything and brings out even more intense flavor. Seriously, it's SO good. I couldn't stop eating this – so much more interesting than plain fruit!

🍒 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need for this summer fruit salad:

overhead view of fresh summer fruit like peaches, nectarines, cherries, blueberries, etc. on a pan.

📋 Ingredient Notes

Stone fruit: Again, feel free to pick and choose your favorites here, or use a wide variety like we did. Any of the following are great options: peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots and cherries. We definitely suggest keeping cherries in the mix – they can be a pain to pit, but they're especially good with the dressing.
Berries: we stick to blueberries and blackberries in our version, but you could definitely use another berry (strawberries, raspberries, etc.) if preferred.
Maple syrup: make sure to use the good stuff here. Pure maple syrup adds a wonderful pop of flavor and brings out the natural sweetness of the fruit even more. If you don't have any, you can sub with another liquid sweetener like honey or agave.
Thyme: fresh thyme has a delicate herbal flavor that takes this summer fruit salad to the next level. You can also use basil, mint, tarragon, or another summer herb of choice. We don't suggest subbing with dried – this salad is really best with a fresh herb.
Vanilla extract: It may seem like an unusual ingredient for a dressing, but wow, it packs a huge punch! It also makes this summer fruit salad lean more towards the dessert side, which we love. If you have any, vanilla bean paste would be excellent here.

side view of summer fruit salad with stone fruit and berries on large white platter on wood table.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Prepare all stone fruit by slicing thinly. If using cherries, be sure to remove pits.
Add all fruit to a large mixing bowl.

(2) In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and thyme until well combined.

on the left: sliced stone fruit and berries on a large platter. on the right: maple cinnamon thyme dressing in small pink bowl.

(3) Pour dressing over fruit.

(4) Toss gently to coat. Enjoy right away or chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator before enjoying.

overhead view of summer fruit salad with stone fruit and berries on large white platter before and after mixing together.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

Stone fruit yield: One large peach or nectarine will yield about 1 cup of sliced fruit. For smaller stone fruit like apricots or plums, you'll need about 3-4 to equal 1 cup sliced.
Serving suggestions: this summer fruit salad is absolutely delicious plain as a snack or side dish. It's also fantastic over ice cream or with whipped cream for a light dessert. It's a great unique fruit salad to bring to a summer bbq or special event!
Change it up: don't feel pressured to stick exactly to the recipe. Give it a try with various combinations of fruit or a different herb like basil or mint.
Storage: this summer fruit salad is best enjoyed within about 2 days. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and stir well again before serving.
Make ahead: this salad actually tastes even better when it has a chance to sit and soak up the dressing. We suggest making this salad no more than 24 hours before serving. Stir well before serving!
Make it more savory: serve over a bed of lettuce like baby kale or arugula and add in a cup of cooked quinoa or wild rice. You'll also want to double the dressing.

What's the best way to pit cherries?

If you don't have an actual cherry pitter, you can use a chopstick or stainless steel straw to remove the pit. Insert through the stem hole and push all the way through. Check to make sure the pit has been removed, then slice in half.

close up view of summer fruit salad with stone fruit and berries on large white platter.

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