This Summer Stone Fruit Salad recipe is sweet, juicy, and easy to make. Tossed in a simple honey lemon syrup with slices of fresh mint.
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What is stone fruit?
Stone fruits also known as drupes are fruits with a large stone or pit inside. Plums, nectarines, cherries, berries, and peaches are all examples of stone fruits. Stone fruit season runs May through October, but you will typically find an abundance of these fresh stone fruits during the Summer months.
Looking for recipes to pair this fruit salad with? Check out my Arugula Salad with Parmesan (Best Rocket Salad), Gluten-Free Lemon Tart, Orange Maple Glazed Salmon, and Spinach Bacon Quiche.
Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy - Made with healthy whole-food ingredients and no refined sugar.
- Elegant & Easy - This refreshing salad has a gorgeous presentation, is delightful in flavor, and is super easy to make. From start to finish you can make this recipe in 20 minutes or less.
- Customizable - You can mix any combination of stone fruits to your preference.
Ingredients
- Peaches and Nectarines: Ripe peaches and nectarines should be slightly soft to the touch. You can give the fruit a gentle squeeze to see if it's ready. Look for fruit without any signs of bruising and make sure to eat them within a few days of purchase.
- Plums: We love using red plums for their vibrant color and flavor.
- Cherries: Take advantage of using fresh cherries when they are widely available. Their peak season is in the Summer months. To make de-pitting them easier, I recommended using this cherry pitter.
- Blackberries and Red Raspberries: Blackberries give this salad an elegant look while red raspberries offer a juicy sweet flavor.
- Honey Lemon Syrup: A combination of just two ingredients, honey, and fresh lemon juice makes the perfect citrusy sweet syrup for this fruit salad. The lemon juice also helps the fruit from browning.
- Fresh Mint: The fresh mint throughout is a key element of this salad that compliments all of the flavors.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the fruit. Wash and dry all of the fruit. Slice around the pits, separating the fruits in half. Cut each half into 4-6 pieces, depending on size. Using a cherry pitter or knife, remove the pits from the cherries and slice most of them in half, leaving a few larger pieces. Finely chop the fresh mint.
Step 2: Combine in a large serving bowl. Place all of the fruit in a large bowl with the chopped mint.
Step 3: Make the syrup. In a small bowl whisk together the fresh lemon juice and honey.
Step 4: Toss the fruit. Drizzle the syrup over the top of the fruit, and gently toss to combine. Add a few fresh slices of mint on top and serve.
Substitutions & Variations
This easy recipe can be made in a variety of ways.
- Savory herbs: I love the addition of mint, but you could also use savory fresh herbs such as fresh thyme or fresh basil.
- Add a hint of vanilla: Adding a pinch of vanilla extract to the dressing will help enhance the flavors.
- Use different fruits: You can customize this salad by adding some of your favorite stone fruits. Other summer stone fruits include apricots, mangoes, or lychees.
- Cheese: Creamy burrata, fresh mozzarella, soft brie, or goat cheese all pair well with juicy stone fruit.
- Caprese salad: Instead of the honey lemon syrup try adding fresh basil, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and a balsamic glaze to create a stone fruit caprese salad.
- Vegan: Replace the honey with agave or maple syrup for a vegan option.
Storage and Serving
How to Serve: You can serve this fruit salad alongside savory items such as grilled chicken, salmon, duck, arugula salad, or quiche. For dessert, serve this salad as is or with vanilla bean ice cream.
How to Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make in Advance: You can slice the stone fruit and remove the pits from the cherries a day in advance, just make sure to store all the fruits separately. Before serving, make the honey lemon syrup, chop the mint, and toss the salad together. Over time the fruit does soften, therefore it is best to serve this salad the same day it is made.
FAQ
If you do not own a cherry pitter, you can remove the pits from the cherries by slicing them in half with a knife, or by pushing a straw through the center of the cherry, forcing out the pit.
Stone fruits complement savory dishes such as chicken, duck, quiche, or baby arugula salad. You can also use this side dish as a dessert by adding vanilla ice cream, or pair it with yogurt for breakfast.
The lemon juice in this recipe will keep the fruit from turning brown.
If the stone fruit is not quite ripe enough to eat, you can store it in a paper bag at room temperature to speed up the ripening process. Once the stone fruit is fully ripe, you can store it in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. Cherries however can be stored right away, as they stop ripening once harvested.
Recipe
Stone Fruit Salad with Honey Lemon and Mint
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 3 peaches
- 3 nectarines
- 3 plums
- 2 cups cherries
- 6 ounces red raspberries
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves, finely sliced
Lemon Honey Syrup
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit. Wash and dry all of the fruit. Slice around the pits, separating the fruits in half. Cut each half into 4-6 pieces, depending on size. Using a cherry pitter or knife, remove the pits from the cherries and slice most of them in half, leaving a few larger pieces. Finely chop the fresh mint.
- Combine in a large bowl. Place all of the fruit in a large bowl with the chopped mint.
- Make the syrup. In a small bowl whisk together the fresh lemon juice and honey.
- Toss the fruit. Drizzle the syrup over the top of the fruit, and gently toss to combine. Add a few fresh slices of mint on top and serve.
kenny says
Easy dessert recipe but very refreshing, delicious.