This Winter Fruit Salad is a great way to eat fresh fruit during the colder months. It makes a healthy addition to any Christmas, New Year's or other holiday gathering.
1large orangepeeled and filleted, fillets cut bite-sized
2mandarin orangespeeled and segmented, cut segments in half if you prefer
2firm but ripe kiwispeeled and sliced
1firm persimmondiced
½pomegranatearils only
Instructions
Make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a small jam jar, screw on the lid and shake well. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the salad: Place all ingredients in a large bowl (or arrange on a platter if you have enough time on your hands!). Mix with the dressing and serve immediately.
If you need to make this ahead of time, toss the apples and pear with lemon juice right after cutting. Keep the fruit in separate containers until ready to mix. Add the dressing just before serving.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Honey: I recommend using a runny honey with a mild taste. Maple syrup is a good substitute if you don’t want to use honey.
Poppy seeds: If you’re not a fan, just leave them out.
Fruit: Feel free to leave out any fruit you don’t enjoy. You can increase a different kind of fruit in its place, or use another winter fruit you enjoy. If you absolutely want to add banana, please make sure to only slice and add it as you’re serving the salad – otherwise it will turn mushy and brown.
Dressing: I go for a very simplified dressing here, it’s enough for me in this salad with so many different kinds of fresh fruit. If you want something with a little more zing, go for my Poppy Seed Fruit Salad Dressing with lemon juice.
Do not add dairy: If you want to use a different dressing entirely, feel free. But do not add anything dairy-based to this fruit salad – fresh kiwi fruit reacts with dairy products and yields a very bitter, metallic taste. Not pleasant! So steer clear from any yogurt, cream or pudding based dressings here.
Recipe tips
Hold the sugar/honey. It all depends on the tartness of your fruit, but be gentle on the sweetener and let the fruit shine. You can always add sugar or increase the honey, but you can’t take it away if there’s too much.
Don’t add mushy fruit. Use firm, crisp fruit for salad. Else, the entire thing turns mushy.
Be careful with the pomegranate, or your salad will be pink. Either you can just sprinkle the arils on top. Or, this is the way for patient people, you can rinse and dry them very carefully. It’s best to let them mostly air-dry, so if you want to go this route do this before you prep any other fruit. Add them after you’ve mixed all the other fruit with the dressing and just toss them in slightly.