This pineapple-cucumber-kiwi salad with honey-mint dressing is a 15-minute fresh summer salad.

Sweet pineapple, tart kiwi, and cool cucumber all go in the same bowl, each bringing something different to the mix.

It takes about a minute to whisk together. Serve this at a summer cookout, next to grilled fish or chicken, or on its own when you want something cold and fresh.

If you love refreshing salads like this, you’ll also want to try

Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Spicy Peach and Chickpea Salad with Fresh Greens

Roasted Beet Salad with Feta Cheese, Walnut, and Lettuce

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized chunks
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced into rounds
2 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), peeled into ribbon
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

Fruit ripeness matters more than anything else here. Underripe pineapple is woody and won’t absorb the dressing properly, and underripe kiwi tastes aggressively tart no matter how much honey you add.

Persian cucumbers are the best pick (they’re seedless and stay crisp longer than English cucumber), though English works fine if you scrape the seeds out before slicing.

Fresh mint is non-negotiable; dried mint has a completely different, medicinal flavor that won’t give you the same result.

Directions

Whisk together the honey and lime juice in a small bowl until the honey is completely dissolved.
This takes about a minute with a fork (longer than you would think, because honey resists mixing with something acidic at first).
Once smooth, add the lime zest and a pinch of salt.
Stir in half the chopped mint, then set the bowl aside while you prep the fruit.
If starting from a whole pineapple, slice off the crown and base so it sits flat, stand it upright, and cut the skin off in downward strips following the curve of the fruit.
Quarter it lengthwise, cut the fibrous core off each piece at an angle, then cut the flesh into 3/4-inch cubes.
Once cut, blot the pieces lightly with a paper towel.
Fresh pineapple releases quite a bit of juice as it sits, and that liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl and dilute the dressing before it gets a chance to coat the fruit.
To peel kiwi without a mess, score around the outside with the edge of a spoon, press in slightly, and rotate to pop the flesh out in one clean piece.
Slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick.
If any kiwis feel very ripe and give a lot when you handle them, halve the rounds instead of keeping them whole.
Soft kiwi breaks apart fast once it gets tossed in dressing, and you want the slices to stay recognizable in the bowl.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber into long, thin ribbons. Scrape the seed channel out with a spoon before slicing.
Those seeds hold water that releases into the bowl as the salad sits, diluting the dressing and making everything wet at the bottom.
Persian cucumbers are seedless and skip this step entirely.
Add the pineapple, kiwi, and cucumber to a wide, shallow bowl.
Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the top and toss gently, folding rather than stirring so the kiwi rounds stay intact.
Taste after the first toss and decide whether to add the remaining dressing.
Some pineapples run sweeter than others, which will shift where the balance lands.
Scatter the remaining fresh mint over the top and give everything one last gentle fold.
The mint goes in at the end so it stays bright green rather than wilting under the dressing.
Serve right away.
The salad is at its best fresh, when the cucumber is still crisp and the fruit holds its shape.

Serve & Enjoy!

One thing worth planning around: this salad needs to be served close to when it is made. The cucumber releases water as it sits, and past the 30-minute mark the bottom of the bowl starts to look wet and the dressing loses some of its punch. It is not a make-it-in-the-morning-and-serve-at-dinner situation. Time it alongside the rest of the meal and plate it right before you eat.

Important Recipe Notes

Ripe fruit is non-negotiable. Pineapple should smell sweet at the base and give slightly when pressed at the crown. Kiwi should feel soft but not squishy. Both are dramatically better when ripe, and the dressing will not compensate for tart, unripe fruit.
Do not make this more than 30 minutes ahead. Cucumber releases water as it sits, which pools at the bottom of the bowl and dilutes the dressing. If you need to prep ahead, keep the cucumber and dressing separate and toss everything together just before serving.
Fresh mint only. Dried mint has a completely different flavor that does not work in this dressing. If you are out of mint, a small amount of fresh basil is a decent stand-in, but skip the dried version entirely rather than reaching for it as a substitute.
Blot the pineapple. Fresh pineapple releases a fair amount of juice when cut. A quick press with a paper towel before adding it to the bowl keeps things from getting watery, especially if you are not serving immediately.
The dressing doubles easily and keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed jar. It works on mixed berry salads, melon salads, or drizzled over plain Greek yogurt.
Add heat for contrast. A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred into the dressing, or a few thin slices of jalapeno tossed in with the fruit, adds a sharpness that plays well against the sweet pineapple. Worth trying at least once.
Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Drain any pooled liquid before serving again. The texture softens overnight, but the flavor holds.

Pineapple Cucumber Kiwi Salad with Honey Mint Dressing

Course: Recipes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

120

kcal

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized chunks
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced into rounds
2 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Whisk honey, lime juice, lime zest, salt, and half the mint together until smooth.
Cut pineapple into 3/4-inch cubes and pat dry with a paper towel.
Peel kiwis and slice into 1/4-inch rounds.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber into long, thin ribbons. Scrape the seed out with a spoon.
Combine fruit and cucumber, drizzle with two-thirds of the dressing, and toss gently.
Add remaining mint, fold once more, and serve immediately.