Tropical Fruit Salad

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You’ll be whisked away on an imaginary trip when you experience the taste and aroma of this simple fruit salad dressing combination. The honey lime dressing in this tropical fruit salad makes the flavors really pop! Enjoy some with brunch or as an afternoon snack. 

A simple homemade dressing brings out the natural flavors of pineapple, mango, kiwi, and blueberries to create the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

Simply toss everything together in a medium bowl, then spoon into a homemade pineapple bowl for a simple, yet festive touch. 

Feeling inspired by the tropical flavors of this pineapple mango salad? You’ll love my fish taco bowls with mango salsa and cilantro lime crema. Or, try a layered smoothie made with a variety of fruits and creamy Greek yogurt.

Ingredient notes

• Fruit — You can substitute or add your favorite tropical fruits like papaya, guava, or passion fruit. Other berries and grapes are great in this recipe as well.
• Honey — Because the dressing is so simple, any substitutions will affect the overall flavor. Agave is a suitable vegan substitute, and pure maple syrup can be used in a pinch. However, I really recommend sticking to honey if you can.
• Poppy seeds — I love the extra little crunch this gives, plus it really ups the overall wow factor. That said, you can leave these out entirely if they tend to get stuck in your teeth.

Creating a pineapple boat

It’s really quite simple to create a natural serving dish from the outer rind of this fruit.

First stand the pineapple up vertically and slice ⅓ off one side, leaving the top attached. Use a sharp knife to score along the inside of the larger piece, leaving about ½-inch along the shell.

Scoop out the fruit and chop it into bite size pieces. Then, remove the peel from the smaller piece and chop that section into smaller pieces as well.

Now you’re left with a hollowed out shell that’s perfect for serving your tropical fruit salad!

How to make Fruit Salad Dressing Recipe

STEP 1 | Prep the remaining fruit

• I shared a few tips in this post for slicing mangoes and what method typically works best for me.
• Add everything to a bowl that has enough room for mixing easily.

STEP 2 | Toss with dressing

• Whisk together the honey, lime juice, and poppy seeds.
• Pour over the chopped fruit and gently toss until everything is well coated.

STEP 3 | Spoon into pineapple boat

• Pile on as much of the tropical fruit salad as you can fit. Any that’s remaining can be left in the bowl and kept in the refrigerator for later.
• If you’re feeling extra tropical, garnish it with toasted coconut.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

What’s great about this recipe is that it can be enjoyed at any time of day! The natural serving dish adds a decorative touch to any brunch table, and the flavors go nicely with my egg skillet or chicken and waffles. 

It’s also a refreshing side dish for a barbecue dinner with baked barbecue chicken breast or juicy pork chops.

Or, skip the fancy boat and enjoy pineapple mango salad straight from the bowl. Pair it with some plain yogurt and chopped nuts as a light breakfast, or spoon some over vanilla ice cream for a sweet afternoon treat.

Tropical Fruit Salad: behind the recipe

Fresh pineapple and mango remind me of beach trips with fruity drinks by the pool, listening to the surf, and long strolls along the shore — I must need a real vacation!

For now, I’ll have to reminisce of more relaxing times with this pineapple mango salad.

Of course, the fruit is pretty tasty on its own, but I thought that a simple honey lime dressing would make it a little more interesting. The addition of kiwi, blueberries, and poppy seeds give the dish a bit of contrast to create a beautiful brunch appetizer.