Description
A vibrant, refreshing fruit salad featuring a colorful mix of fresh fruits tossed in a sweet lemon-infused apricot glaze. Perfect for a healthy dessert or a light snack, this salad combines pineapple, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, mango, berries, and mandarin oranges for a deliciously balanced flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Glaze
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Fruit
- 1 pineapple, chopped smaller than usual
- 2 cups purple grapes, halved
- 2 cups green grapes, halved
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 5 kiwi, peeled and quartered
- 2 large mangos (or 4 small mangos), chopped
- 10 ounces blueberries
- 6 ounces raspberries (optional)
- 2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
- Fresh mint, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the glaze: In a large serving bowl, combine 1/3 cup apricot preserves, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir thoroughly until the sugar and preserves are well blended, creating a flavorful citrus glaze.
- Chop the pineapple: Cut the pineapple into smaller pieces than usual and add them to the bowl with the glaze. The smaller pieces help distribute the flavor evenly through the salad.
- Prepare grapes: Using a serrated knife, halve about 2 cups of purple grapes and 2 cups of green grapes. Add these to the bowl, contributing both color and sweetness.
- Prepare strawberries: Hull 1 pound of strawberries and slice them into quarters. Add them to the bowl, enhancing the salad with juicy texture.
- Prepare kiwi: Chop off the ends of 5 kiwi, then peel them with a peeler or paring knife. Slice each kiwi in half lengthwise, then in half again, optionally chopping once more but not too finely. Add the kiwi pieces to the bowl.
- Prepare mango: Stand each mango upright and slice down along the pit on both sides. Score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through the skin, then flip the mango halves and slice off the diced fruit. Add the chopped mango to the bowl.
- Add berries: Gently add 10 ounces of blueberries and 6 ounces of raspberries to the bowl. Stir very gently to combine all the fruits without crushing the berries.
- Add mandarin oranges: Drain two 11-ounce cans of mandarin oranges completely. Add them to the fruit mixture and gently stir to combine.
- Garnish and serve: Serve the fruit salad immediately, optionally garnished with fresh mint leaves. Note that the salad is best enjoyed fresh as it loses flavor and texture over time. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and consume soon afterward.
Notes
- Make ahead: If preparing a few hours in advance, chop all the fruits and place them in a bowl separately from the glaze.
- Keep the glaze covered and chilled until ready to serve, then stir it into the fruit just before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Use a microplane grater for fresh lemon zest to enhance the glaze flavor.
- Handle berries gently to avoid bruising.
- Consume leftovers within 1-2 days for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
