Winter Fruit Salad
on Dec 17, 2023, Updated Jul 03, 2024
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This colorful and refreshing winter fruit salad is full of fall and winter’s best produce! Tossed in a honey lime poppy seed dressing, it’s the perfect side dish for brunch or a holiday meal.
Looking for another delicious and refreshing fruit salad? Try this berry fruit salad!
Why you’ll love this fruit salad
Seasonal fruit – Fall and winter fruits often don’t get as much hype as spring and summer. However, there are so many wonderful options, many that are featured in this salad. Pears, apples, citrus, and so much more!
Won’t brown quickly – The problem with some fruit salads is that the fruit browns quickly. Thanks to the honey lime dressing that isn’t an issue with this fruit salad. Citrus prevents browning.
Colorful and refreshing – With all the heavy meals and side dishes in the colder months, it’s nice to brighten up a meal with something light and fresh! This winter fruit salad can be served with breakfast or brunch and will be an eye catching addition to your holiday meal.
The ingredients
- Apples – You can use any variety of apple for this fruit salad. I recommend a sweet, crisp variety such as Honeycrisp.
- Pears – Bartlett or Anjou pears can be used.
- Kiwi – Sweet and a little tart. Adds a nice bright green color to the salad as well.
- Grapes – Red or green grapes can be useed.
- Clementines – Sometimes called “cuties”.
- Pomegranate – Pomegranate arils add wonderful sweet pops to the salad. They’re jewel color is eye catching as well.
- Lime – Tart and tangy and helps to keep the fruit salad from browning.
- Honey – The sweetener for the dressing.
- Poppy Seeds – Have a mild sweet and nutty flavor.
- Mint – Mint leaves give the fruit salad a wonderful fresh minty flavor.
How to make winter fruit salad
Dices the apples and pears. I like to keep everything similar in size so that you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
Peel the kiwi and dice them. Halve the grapes or keep them whole depending on what you like.
Peel the clementines and break them into segments. You can buy a whole pomegranate and remove the seeds yourself or if you don’t mind spending extra money, you can just buy the pomegranate seeds.
Combine the lime zest, juice, honey and poppy seeds in a measuring glass or bowl. Whisk together and then taste it. For a sweeter dressing add additional honey.
Add all of the fruit to a large serving bowl and toss it together with the dressing. Garnish the salad with fresh mint leaves and serve.
What to serve with winter fruit salad
If you’re serving this fruit salad with breakfast or brunch, I recommend making my sausage, potato, and kale breakfast casserole or this spinach, bacon and cheese strata.
For a sweet breakfast option, serve it with cranberry orange muffins, apple cinnamon french toast casserole, or cranberry maple pecan baked oatmeal.
Variations
- Substitute lime juice in the dressing with fresh squeezed orange juice or a combination of lime and orange juice.
- Add a banana into the salad.
- Substitute clementine oranges with naval orange segments or tangerine segments.
Can the fruit salad be made ahead of time?
Yes. This fruit salad can be made 3-4 hours ahead of time, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend making it any further in advance, so that the fruit stays crisp and any browning is avoided.
Storage and leftovers
The winter fruit salad tastes best the day it’s made. However, it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple days after being made.
More salads with fruit in them
Did you make this winter fruit salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Winter Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 2 pears cored and diced
- 2 apples cored and diced
- 2 cups halved grapes
- 4 kiwis peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 4 clementine oranges peeled and segmented
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice + the zest of a lime
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoon chopped mint leaves optional
Instructions
- Combine the apples, pears, grapes, kiwi, clementines, and pomegranate seeds in a serving bowl.
- In a small bowl or measuring glass, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, honey, and poppy seeds.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
