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    Home » Desserts » Easy Fruit Salad Recipe

    Easy Fruit Salad Recipe

    January 18, 2021 Maria 2 Comments

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    Fruit salad being picked up with a spoon.

    This Easy Fruit Salad recipe makes a colorful and refreshing dessert. Serve these winter fruits plain or topped with whipped ricotta, yogurt or pastry cream. Use pizzelle as a serving dish for special festive occasions.

    Fruit salad being picked up with a spoon.

    Italian meals often end with fresh seasonal fruit.

    These fruit desserts are usually very quick and easy to prepare. Occasionally, depending on the fruit, they are sometimes lightly sweetened. 

    Some examples include macerated strawberries, baked apples, and stuffed peaches.

    Perhaps you are thinking that having a healthy fruit salad for dessert is kind of boring. The truth is that if you start with fresh seasonal fruit that is of high quality, not only will you be amazed at how delicious it is, but you will appreciate the refreshing flavors, especially after a heavy meal. 

    Colorful winter fruits on a platter.

    What fruits to use

    Regardless of the combination of winter fruits you use for this fresh fruit salad, somehow it always turns out great. Know that you can make substitutions based on personal preferences as well as the availability of fresh produce from your local fruit store.

    Fresh fruit, mint and a small bowl of honey on a wooden board.

    These are the winter fruits I used today:

    Cara Cara oranges: Slicing these pink navels truly showcases their unique color. This seedless variety of oranges is slightly less acidic than their counterparts and tastes a little sweeter. Available from December through May. [source]

    Mandarins: There are two varieties of mandarins: clementines and tangerines. Both types are sweet and easy to peel and separate into sections. Either variety works really well in this recipe. 

    Pomegranate arils: Easily remove the pomegranate seeds by strategically cutting the whole fruit into sections. Ready to eat pomegranate arils can also be purchased from your local grocery store. 

    Kiwi: Feel free to use either the green or yellow/golden varieties. Ripe kiwis taste sweet with just a touch of tartness. 

    Pears: Any variety of ripe pears works really well in this recipe. Use ripe pears for maximum flavor.

    Cara Cara oranges, lemons and a pomegranate being prepared to make a winter fruit salad.

    How to make a fruit salad step by step

    The first thing we are going to do is properly rinse all of the fruits and one sprig of mint under cold running water. 

    Winter fruits in a colander.

    More specifically:

    • 2 Cara Cara oranges
    • 5 mandarins
    • 1 pomegranate (we need 1½ cups pomegranate arils)
    • 4 ripe kiwis
    • 2 ripe pears

    Transfer them on a clean towel, and with another clean tea towel, pat them dry. 

    Slicing and dicing the fruits

    In order to showcase the vibrant colors of winter fruit, once you peel them, you can slice, dice or leave as they are.

    For this particular recipe, 2 of the kiwis were diced and 2 were sliced. I used a potato wave cutter to scallop the edges of the sliced kiwis to make them look more festive.

    The oranges were sliced, the pears were diced, and the mandarin sections were left as is. 

    Place all the prepared fruit in a large mixing bowl. 

    Fruit salad dressing

    In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice and 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

    Combining the fruit and the dressing

    Pour the citrus honey dressing over the prepared fruit and gently toss together to combine. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

    Garnish with mint leaves and serve. This homemade fruit salad not only makes a refreshing dessert but is also great for breakfast and brunch. 

    Tips

    • Purchase fruit that is fresh and ripe for the best tasting salad. If possible, purchase organic fruits. 
    • The best fruit for fruit salad has a firm texture. Do not use mushy, overripe fruit. 
    • Remove the excess moisture from the washed fruit to prevent it from getting soft and mushy. 
    • Slicing and dicing the different fruits create a visually appealing fruit salad. Keep the pieces bite-sized. 
    • Depending on the natural sweetness of each of the fruits, you may want to adjust the total amount of honey used. If your fruit is ripe, you can eliminate the need for honey. 
    • This fruit salad is best the day it is made. 

    Leftovers

    Pureed leftover fruit salad is a nutritious and high fiber addition to a breakfast smoothie, a breakfast bowl, or yogurt. 

    Fruit allergies

    According to this source, one of the most prevailing sources of allergic reactions is kiwis.  If this is true for you, simply replace this fruit with green grapes or simply eliminate it from the salad. 

    More winter salads

    If you are looking for another colorful and healthy winter salad, this fennel orange salad is for you. It truly is a show-stopping salad and so very refreshing! If, on the other hand,  you are looking for a hearty grain salad, this fregola sarda spinach and pomegranate salad is the perfect recipe. 

    A close up photo of the sliced and diced fruit used in a winter fruit salad.

    Recipe inspiration

    My mom would always prepare a platter of colorful fresh fruit for dessert. She would tell us that fresh fruits were full of vitamins and that they were some of the healthiest foods we could eat.

    She was right. A few decades later, here we are all trying to “eat the rainbow.”

    Depending on the season and the type of fruits available, sometimes she would slice them up and create bright and appetizing fruit salads. There was no particular recipe, but as was previously mentioned, using fresh seasonal fruit makes all the difference. 

    Enjoy!

    THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

    And if you are new here, welcome! You may want to sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes. 

    Ciao for now,

    Maria

    ★★★★★ If you have made this fresh fruit recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

    Fruit salad being picked up with a spoon.

    Easy Fruit Salad Recipe

    This Easy Fruit Salad recipe makes a colorful and refreshing dessert. Serve these winter fruits plain or topped with whipped ricotta, yogurt or pastry cream. Use pizzelle as a serving dish for special festive occasions.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Brunch or Dessert, Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 134kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD

    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups pomegranate arils
    • 5 mandarins separated into sections
    • 2 oranges peeled and sliced
    • 4 kiwis diced or sliced
    • 2 pears any ripe variety, cored and diced

    Fruit Salad Dressing

    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
    • 2 tablespoons orange juice
    • mint leaves for garnish
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    Instructions

    • Rinse the fruit under cold running water. Pat dry.
    • Prepare the fruit by slicing or dicing it.
    • Place all of the prepared fruit in a large bowl.
    • Whisk together the honey, lemon and orange juice in a small bowl.
    • Pour the dressing over the prepared fruit and gently toss together to combine.
    • Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
    • Garnish with mint leaves and serve.
    Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

    Notes

    • Purchase fruit that is fresh and ripe for the best tasting salad. If possible, purchase organic fruits. 
    • The best fruit for fruit salad has a firm texture. Do not use mushy, overripe fruit. 
    • Remove the excess moisture from the washed fruit to prevent it from getting soft and mushy. 
    • Slicing and dicing the different fruits create a visually appealing fruit salad. Keep the pieces bite-sized. 
    • Depending on the natural sweetness of each of the fruits, you may want to adjust the total amount of honey used. If your fruit is ripe, you can eliminate the need for honey. 
    • This fruit salad is best the day it is made. 
    Leftovers:  Pureed leftover fruit salad is a nutritious and high fiber addition to a breakfast smoothie, a breakfast bowl, or yogurt. 
    Fruit allergies: According to this source, one of the most prevailing sources of allergic reactions is kiwis.  If this is true for you, simply replace this fruit with green grapes or simply eliminate it from the salad. 
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 425mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 507IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shelovesbiscotti or tag #shelovesbiscotti!

    Filed Under: Desserts

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. val

      March 05, 2021 at 2:04 pm

      5 stars
      I just love the vibrant colors of these winter fruits. They look so fresh!

      Reply
      • Maria

        March 05, 2021 at 2:19 pm

        Thanks Val. Fruits are So great any time of the year! Thank for stopping by.

        Reply

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    Maria from She loves biscotti

    Hi, I'm Maria! a dietitian and full-time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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