Fresh, tangy Pineapple Basil Salad is the simplest and most refreshing fruit salad you’ll try. Cold, sweet pineapple brightened with tart lemon and fragrant basil makes for a lively, clean-tasting dish perfect for warm days.
Why We Love This Recipe
I first tasted this Pineapple Lemon Basil Salad on a sunny day at the beach in Oceanside, CA. My sister brought a bowl of freshly cut pineapple and one bite revealed something special: cold, sweet, tangy fruit with the unexpected brightness of lemon and the herbaceous lift of basil. The result is a surprising, refreshing flavor combination that feels both simple and sophisticated.
3 Simple Ingredients
This salad uses just three ingredients—pineapple, lemons, and fresh basil—yet delivers complex flavor. After trimming and cutting the pineapple into bite-size pieces, combine it with lemon juice, lemon zest, and chiffonade basil. The technique is straightforward and the payoff is a versatile dish that works as a salad, side, dessert, or snack.
Juice & Zest the Lemons
Remove the zest from both lemons and set it aside, then halve and juice the lemons. Combine the lemon juice and zest with the pineapple pieces in a bowl. Lemon zest adds an extra layer of brightness and lifts the overall flavor, giving the salad surprising depth for such a short ingredient list.
Chiffonade the Basil
Remove any lemon seeds, then stack and roll basil leaves before slicing them into thin strands (a technique called chiffonade). Add the basil to the bowl with the pineapple and lemon, toss gently, and cover. Allow the flavors to meld for 1–2 hours or refrigerate overnight if you can wait—the longer rest deepens the flavor and softens the acidity slightly.
This may be one of the easiest recipes, but it’s also one of the most refreshing. It’s ideal for barbecues, potlucks, or simply cooling off on a hot day. Serve it chilled as a bright side dish, a light dessert, or an anytime snack.
More Salad Recipes
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Grilled Peach Salad with Burrata -
Lemon Herb Tahini (CAVA copycat)
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Cowboy Rice Salad
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Quinoa Stuffed Avocado
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Pineapple Basil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 whole pineapple
- 2 lemons
- ¼ cup (about 10 leaves) fresh basil
Instructions
- Cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces. A simple method: remove the top and skin, quarter the pineapple lengthwise, slice out the core, then cut each quarter into spears and chop into pieces.
- Remove the zest from both lemons and set it aside. Halve and juice the lemons. Mix the lemon juice and zest with the pineapple pieces in a bowl.
- Rinse and dry basil leaves, stack and roll them, then slice into thin strands (chiffonade). This creates delicate basil ribbons.
- Add the basil to the pineapple and lemon mixture and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
Nutrition
Calories: 64 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 17 g |
Protein: 1 g |
Fat: 1 g |
Fiber: 2 g |
Sugar: 12 g |
Vitamin C: 68 mg
originally published August 18, 2018