Berry Fruit Salad Recipe
After celebrating spring break with beach bonfires and backyard barbecues, I want to fill up my lungs with springtime air and shout that the outdoor season is officially here! Which means it’s time for Strawberry Salad, Pineapple Salsa, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Brazilian Steak Kabobs and Berry Salad! Just like I love curling up on my couch cozied up in a warm blanket and thick socks slurping soup in the winter, there is nowhere I love to be more in the Spring and Summer than the outdoors. Whether it’s lounging on a blanket at the park with my hubs throwing the ball for Kiwi, or paddle boarding on the lagoon down the street, or walking on the beach with my stroller-pushing friends, or watching the nieces and nephews play sharks and minnows in the pool. But the one thing that makes me happiest — all of the aforementioned — but with food! With every warm weather get together, there is usually some sort of potluck involved and I love bringing something stress-free, simple, fresh yet slightly indulgent that everyone gobbles up in a flash. You guessed it, I love to spoil my friends with fruit salads. Some of my favorites include Pina Colada Fruit Salad, Perfect Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing, Grape Salad with Vanilla Yogurt Dressing and of course this Berry Fruit Salad with Honey Mascarpone. The Honey Mascarpone envelopes the fruit in a sweet and tangy velvety bath that is soooooo creamy! And although the Honey Mascarpone tastes restaurant gourmet, it is super easy to create simply by whipping mascarpone, vanilla Greek yogurt, honey, sugar, lemon juice and red wine vinegar together. If you aren’t familiar with mascarpone, it’s an Italian cheese that is rich and creamy with a subtle milky, sweet, slightly tangy flavor, that is somewhere in between butter and cream in texture so it whips up and envelops beautifully and tastes like pure heaven. Or what I imagine heaven to taste like. As far as the berrys go in this fruit salad, you really can use whatever fruit your belly desires or whatever you have on hand, but I particularly love the pairing of sweetly tart berries with the luscious Honey Mascarpone. The Honey Mascarpone is soooo drool-worthy, you can even just serve it as a dip instead of mixing it with your berries — whatever suits your mood — as long as you devour Honey Mascarpone somehow, some way somewhere — whether poolside, beach side, barbecue side or in your kitchen at midnight fridge side. And in case you want to get a little fancy for Mother’s Day or baby/bridal showers, etc., this summer fruit salad makes the perfect filling for lettuce wraps and looks so pretty! I like to top mine with a little sprinkling of Caramelized Pecans, and then I like to eat them … all.
Berry Fruit Salad Ingredients
This summer berry salad is incredibly easy to make and requires minimal ingredients. Here’s everything I used in this homemade fruit salad recipe:
Berries: I used a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I also added red grapes for added texture and flavor. Mascarpone: Make sure the mascarpone has been softened before mixing together the honey mascarpone fruit salad dressing. Vanilla Greek yogurt: I used non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, but you can use full-fat if desired. Honey: Adds sweetness and flavor to the creamy fruit salad dressing. Sugar: Bumps up the sweetness a bit. Lemon juice and zest: Adds a subtle lemony flavor to the berry salad. The tartness from the lemon juice perfectly balances out the sweetness of the salad. Red wine vinegar: Doesn’t make the berry fruit salad taste like vinegar, don’t worry! It just helps balance out the sweetness in this dish.
Ingredient Variations
Use different berries: You can use any mixture of fresh berries in this easy fruit salad recipe. You can also mix in other fruits (besides berries), if desired. Use a different vinegar: If you don’t have red wine vinegar on hand, another light, fruity vinegar will work. Just don’t use something too strong, like white vinegar. Use plain Greek yogurt: Only have plain Greek yogurt on hand? No problem! You can sweeten it with a little honey or maple syrup, then stir in a ¼ or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
How to Make Berry Fruit Salad
This creamy fruit salad couldn’t be simpler to make! Since the berries require minimal prep, this dish comes together in about 10 minutes.
Tips for Making Berry Salad
Pour the dressing over the berry salad just before serving it, otherwise it will become runny. Mix together the creamy fruit salad dressing in a separate bowl before adding it to the berry salad. You want the dressing ingredients to be evenly incorporated! Wash and dry the fruit before adding it to the serving bowl. Don’t add the fruit to the bowl dripping wet, otherwise your berry fruit salad will be watery.
Berry Fruit Salad Variations to Try
Make it tangier: Add an extra splash of lemon juice to make this berry salad tangier. Make it sweeter: If your berries aren’t totally ripe, you may need to add a little more sugar to the dressing to sweeten things up a bit. Make it more lemony: Add extra lemon zest to amp up the lemon flavor.
Can I Prep Berry Fruit Salad in Advance?
You can wash and prep the fruit and whisk together the mascarpone fruit salad dressing in advance. However, you should wait to combine the mixed fruit and the dressing until you’re ready to serve the berry salad.
How to Store Berry Salad
This berry fruit salad should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last up to 2 days, but it’s best enjoyed immediately.
Can I Freeze Fruit Salad?
No, this summer berry fruit salad should not be frozen.
What to Serve with Berry Fruit Salad
This summer fruit salad pairs well with almost any classic potluck dish! Here are a few of my favorite dishes to serve alongside this homemade fruit salad:
Oven Fried ChickenCrockpot BBQ ChickenHawaiian Chicken KabobsBest BBQ Pulled PorkThe Best BurgersBuffalo ChickenChili Lime ChickenBrazilian Steak KabobsHuli Huli ChickenAll of my summer recipes!
Looking for more Salad Recipes?
BLT Pasta Salad in Lemon Chive DressingStrawberry Broccoli SaladBerry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed DressingBuffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese RanchStrawberry Salad with Strawberry Balsamic VinaigretteCucumber Tomato Avocado Salad wit Italian Dressing
Looking for more berry recipes?
Strawberry Spinach SaladStrawberry SaladMini Strawberry Pies with Sugar Cookie CrustBerry Feta Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed DressingStrawberry Pear Pesto FlatbreadKey Lime Cheesecake Fruit DipFresh Strawberry Syrup
Want to try this Berry Salad in Honey Mascarpone?
Pin it to your Summer, Salad or Side Board to SAVE for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes! I am always pinning :)!
©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com Carlsbad Cravings© Original Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!
