Description
This Thanksgiving Fruit Salad (Fall Fruit Salad) is a vibrant and refreshing holiday side dish filled with a medley of colorful fruits, crunchy pecans, and a zesty citrus-spiced dressing. Perfect for adding a bright, sweet, and tangy element to your festive menu.
Ingredients
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
- 1 ½ cups Red Grapes, seedless, halved
- 15 oz Canned Mandarins, packed in water, drained
- 2 Bartlett Pears, chopped
- 1 Gala Apple, chopped
- ½ cup Pomegranate Seeds
- ½ cup Blackberries
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries
- ½ cup Pecan halves
- Orange zest (from 1 orange, for the dressing)
Orange Dressing
- ½ cup Orange juice (freshly squeezed from 1 orange)
- ¼ cup Honey
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Prepare Fruit: Rinse and dry all fresh fruit thoroughly. Halve the red grapes, and chop the Bartlett pears and Gala apple into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine Fruits and Nuts: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped pears and apples, halved grapes, drained canned mandarins, pomegranate seeds, blackberries, dried cranberries, and pecan halves. Add the fresh orange zest to the bowl for added citrus flavor.
- Make the Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the fresh orange juice, honey, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
- Toss Salad: Pour the orange dressing over the combined fruit and nuts, gently stirring to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled as a refreshing and colorful holiday side dish.
Notes
- Use a good quality citrus squeezer to extract fresh orange juice efficiently and a fine zester to get the zest without the pith.
- For best freshness and to minimize browning of apples and pears, prepare the salad the same day you plan to serve it.
- If making ahead, tossing the fruit in the orange dressing and storing in the refrigerator overnight can help prevent browning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
