Description
Mediterranean-inspired fall fruit salad combines seasonal apples, pears, and pomegranate seeds with a honey-mint dressing. Crisp ingredients and delicate flavors offer a refreshing twist you’ll savor from first bite to last.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits:
- 2 medium green apples
- 2 medium red apples
- 3 medium navel oranges
- 1 cup grapes
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Nuts:
- 1 cup pecans
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange pecans on a baking sheet. Toast until aromatic, approximately 5-7 minutes. Allow nuts to cool completely after removing from oven.
- Create a zesty dressing by combining orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon and orange zests in a saucepan. Whisk ingredients over medium heat, bringing to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and let cool to room temperature.
- Prevent apple browning by immediately tossing freshly cored and chopped apple pieces with lemon juice from half a lemon.
- Carefully remove orange peel and segment the fruit into bite-sized chunks, ensuring no white pith remains.
- Select a spacious mixing bowl and gently combine prepared apples, dried cranberries, cooled toasted pecans, whole grapes, and orange segments.
- Drizzle the cooled, fragrant dressing over the fruit mixture, carefully folding to ensure even coating without crushing delicate ingredients. Serve chilled for optimal flavor and texture.
Notes
- Toast pecans carefully to enhance their nutty flavor without burning, watching them closely during the brief oven time.
- Use fresh, crisp apples like Honeycrisp or Gala for the best texture and sweetness in the salad.
- Customize the dressing by adjusting spices or swapping orange juice with apple cider for a deeper autumn flavor profile.
- Prepare fruits just before serving to maintain freshness and prevent browning, especially with apples and oranges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg