Easy Fruit Salad Recipe with Winter Fruits

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

Jump to:

• Introduction
• What fruits to use
• How to make a fruit salad step by step
• Tips
• FAQ
• Serving Suggestion
• More winter salads
• Recipe inspiration
• Recipe

Introduction

Italian meals often end with fresh seasonal fruit.

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

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

Perhaps you think that having a healthy fruit salad for dessert is 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. 

This easy fruit salad recipe is perfect for any occasion! It’s colorful, refreshing, and can be made with various winter fruits.

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 and the availability of fresh produce from your local fruit store.

These are the winter fruits I am using 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 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 well in this recipe. Use ripe pears for maximum flavor.

How to make a fruit salad step by step

We will first rinse all of the fruits and one sprig of mint under cold running water. 

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

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.

I sliced the oranges, diced the pears, and left the mandarin sections 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, especially when served with these mini pancakes.

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. 
• If possible, avoid using frozen fruit as it immediately turns mushy when thawed and increases the overall water content.
• 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. 

FAQ

Serving Suggestion

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. 

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 some of the healthiest foods we could eat.

She was right, and 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 tasty fruit salads. There was no particular recipe, but as was previously mentioned, using fresh seasonal fruit makes all the difference. 

A fresh Italian fruit salad is a great way to savor your favorite winter fruits.

Enjoy!

★★★★★ 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!

Recipe