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Sweet and Spicy Summer Fruit Salad

Updated July 16, 2025

Sweet and Spicy Summer Fruit Salad
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(126)
Comments
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Some of summer’s most notable offerings are stone fruit, tomatoes and basil. While they thrive in the sun, they gain even more flavor when dressed in a savory-spicy vinaigrette. In this spoonable salad, the components resemble a fragmented mosaic: Sweet stone fruit of any kind, from cherries to peaches to pluots, is cut small and tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes and aromatic basil in a chile crisp vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is simple to make, only requiring a bit of sugar to build on the fruit's natural quality, along with red wine vinegar to add fruity depth. Pair this salad with grilled or roasted meats, or just enjoy it on its own.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons mild-tasting olive oil 
  • tablespoons store-bought or homemade chile crisp
  • 1tablespoon red wine vinegar 
  • 1tablespoon sugar
  • pounds stone fruit, such as plums, pluots, cherries, nectarines or peaches, or a combination
  • 10ounces cherry tomatoes
  • Salt 
  • ¾cup basil leaves, lightly packed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

169 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 605 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, chile crisp, vinegar and sugar.

  2. Step 2

    Pit the stone fruit and cut the larger fruit into ½-inch wedges, then cut each wedge into ½-inch pieces. Halve the cherries, if using. Place the fruit in the vinaigrette bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, add to the bowl, season with salt and toss very well. Taste and adjust vinaigrette seasonings as desired. (This salad can be made up to a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.)

  3. Step 3

    When ready to serve, cut or tear the basil into small pieces, add to the bowl and toss everything well to combine.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
126 user ratings
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Comments

This is a fantastic summer salad! I do want to write a note of caution regarding the amount of chili crisp written here. I highly suggest adding a bit at a time and test it for balance against the sweetness. I ended up using only a 1/4 tsp of Mr Bings Chili Crisp and it was spicy enough to serve guests although I did amp it up a bit more for the leftovers. Spicy heat is a very personal thing and it would be a shame to drown out the flavors of summer's best stone fruit.

Chili crisp is a spoon'able condiment that is wonderfully versatile. Click the link in the recipe to see a picture. You'll find jars in Asian markets and in many well-stocked grocery stores in the Asian section. We like the S&B Crunchy Garlic chili crisp the best, because its milder heat makes it more flexible for building flavor. It's so much our go-to, that we buy it by the six-pack from Amazon.

Agree completely with the prior comment - start with 1/4 tbs chili crisp - it adds the right amount of bite, esp for when serving a group with different heat preferences.

I get it, but here’s the thing with this salad: You’re throwing a shindig. There are little kids everywhere. They see fruit, they don’t ask questions. Instant regret, spit up and vociferous protest ensues. Fair warning.

I love all the ingredients in this recipe individually (as in, they are truly my favorite foods and flavors!) but was ultimately sad that I used my perfectly ripe plums, peaches, and cherry tomatoes, and also my freshest basil leaves, in this recipe. Perhaps my olive oil was too flavorful (the instructions do suggest using a mild one) but I still felt like there were too many strong flavors that didn’t end up complementing each other.

Great salad, wonderful flavors! We had some leftovers, so I added some fresh tomatoes and used an immersion blender to turn it into a gazpacho, yeah, I know it's not really gazpacho, but it works!

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