Need an easy no-fuss recipe to bring to all your summer gatherings? This is it! Less than 15 minutes from start to finish and everyone will be singing your praises & asking for the recipe.

Berries, Bananas & Yum!

the gang’s all here!

Looks at these beauties!

This tool makes slicing the strawberries effortless.

The zest really adds a punch to the dressing

Just waiting for serving time to add the bananas

Ready to serve!

It doesn’t hurt at all that this salad’s name reminds me of one of my favorite local restaurants (Red, White & Brew–they have THE best broccoli and their garlic breadsticks are divine. Everything I have tasted there is simply perfection). Speaking of simple perfection…this salad is the epitome of simplicity. Fresh berries and bananas melded with a zippy lime dressing. Who can resist that?

Why You’ll Love It

Easy–no cooking required. A colander, knife, and a small bowl for the dressing is all it takes.
Pretty–the colors just pop and make the perfect side for the summer parties you attend or for a grill night at home.
Fast–as quickly as you can wash & slice the fruit and before you know it, summertime salad.
Customizable–no limes? sub in lemon juice & zest. No almond extract, leave it out or use vanilla or coconut extract instead.

As long as you have the fruits on hand, this salad comes together in no time flat but tastes like a $1,000,000! You can leave out the almond extract (but I don’t recommend it). Trust me, it’s worth keeping that little bottle on hand all the time.

No freezing this patriotic blend!

Leftovers don’t last long so make sure to eat it up fast. Maybe a day or so in the fridge, but after that, it’s no bueno. And I don’t recommend freezing this. Honestly though, I almost never have to throw this stuff out.

Real food. Real kitchens. Real love… and a whole lot of berries.–The Food Civilian

Red, White, and Blue Salad

Melissa Knighton

Fresh and easy berry and banana salad with a zippy lime dressing

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Course Appetizer, bbq, Breakfast, picnic, Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 bananas, sliced or diced add these just before serving so they stay fresh!
1 dry pint blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced or diced
2 TBS granulated sugar
2 TBS fresh lime juice about one lime
1 lime, zested NOT the white part
1-2 tsp almond extract totally optional–but this makes it!

Instructions

Prepare the fruit:

Wash and drain the berries and add to a medium bowl.
Hull and slice or dice or quarter the strawberries…your choice.
Hold off on slicing/dicing the bananas until just before serving.

Make the dressing:

Combine the lime juice, sugar, lime zest, and extract.
Pour over berries and mix gently to combine.
Chill in the fridge.

Just before serving:

Peel and slice or dice the bananas and gently mix into berries and dressing.
Serve immediately. Leftovers last maybe a day or so.

Notes

Substitute in lemon juice and zest for a different flavor. Zest and extract are both optional.

When zesting, make sure to only get the colored part and not the white part (that will be bitter). I keep my microplane upright and turn the lime as I zest…that way I can see how much I have and I can keep moving the lime.

Keyword 4th of July fruit salad, berries and banana salad, fresh fruit sald, fruit salad lime dressing, healthy fruit salad, lime dressing, no cook summer side dish, patriotic salad, red white and blue fruit salad, strawberry banana blueberry salad