Fresh fruit salad with orange honey dressing is an amazingly refreshing and satisfying dessert. A variety of fruit flavors and textures with loads of orange juice is an experience you are sure to love.
Fabulous Fruit Salad
The recipe for this simple fruit salad is inspired by a fabulous treat I enjoyed at a Moroccan family’s home. A medley of fruit was doused in orange juice sweetened with sugar. That is LOTS of orange juice, like in the pictures.
What makes this salad different is the amount of orange juice. There is something so refreshing about savoring the crisp and soft fruit bites spooned with plenty of orange juice sauce around it. It is quiet different from eating plain fruit or with just a coating of a juice based dressing.
This salad is so satisfying and gives you a perfect dessert experience, while still being relatively light. The combination of fruits, flavorful dressing and soaking it several hours, gives you an easy dessert that your family and friends will certainly enjoy.
Ingredients
Orange Juice, Orange Zest, Honey, Fresh Fruit
Orange Juice: Use fresh squeezed juice if you can. I used juice with the pulp. You need to use plenty of orange juice. That is the key to this fruit salad’s taste. You can try pineapple or apple juice, if you don’t like orange juice, but add a dash of lime or lemon juice with it.
Orange Zest: Be sure to use the zest from organic oranges. Add a small amount and scale it up if you need more.
Honey: This makes the dressing a bit thicker and adds a floral flavor. You may try maple syrup too, for a vegan version.
Fresh Fruit:
- Use seasonal fruit with a variety of colors, textures and flavors. Try to use at least 6 kinds of fruit or more.
- Choose fresh and firm berries, crisp apples, bananas that aren’t overripe, ripe but firm kiwis and cantaloupe, firm and sweet grapes and mangoes. Make sure there are no soft or dark spots and mold on the fruit.
- I mostly prefer fresh fruit. Pineapple and mandarin oranges are the only fruits that are ok even if canned, but make sure to drain the fruit well before adding it.
- Pomegranate arils add a nice crunch and pop of color.
- Check the following article for more on how to select fruit.
Pro Tips
Add fruits such as bananas and apples just before serving or they may discolor.
First combine all other fruits with the dressing and then add soft fruits like bananas, or they may become mushy.
If using watery fruits such as watermelon, add that also towards the end.
Do not use frozen fruit as they can be too soft for this recipe.
Be sure to cut the fruit to the same size and let it be a nice bite size.
This salad tastes best after letting the flavors meld together. So I let it rest overnight in the refrigerator before serving. But don’t let it go beyond that or it will lose its beautiful appearance.
If you want a slightly thicker sauce, you can combine the dressing ingredients and cook it down at medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool before using it.
You may add fresh mint leaves if you prefer.
Storage
This fruit dessert keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. After that some of the fruits may become softer, and some colors may leach into the sauce, which may affect its appearance. Leftovers can be frozen and used only for other recipes. Because, frozen fruit will lose their texture while freezing.
Make Ahead / Planning
Buy fruit fresh before making the salad. Plan on choosing the fruit such that they are optimally ripe when you make this recipe. You may rinse the fruits, drain and store in refrigerator the day before making the salad.
Cutting fruit does not take much time, but if you are making a large quantity and want to work ahead, you can cut firm fruits that do not discolor, ahead of time.
Nutrition Facts
This is a gluten free, vegetarian, egg free, dairy free, soy free, nut free and grain free dessert. And is a pretty nutritious and healthy dessert. It is always good to have some light choices such as this salad and our dark chocolate orange slices.
Fruits are a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals. They provide a variety of powerful antioxidants. Regular consumption of fruits has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, inflammation, cancer, diabetes and such.
Be sure to choose a variety of colors when it comes to fruit. Eating plenty of fruit is a delicious way to improve and maintain good health.
More Fruit Based Treats
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Fruit Salad With Orange Juice
Ingredients
- 3 cups orange juice with pulp
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest organic
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ½ lb strawberries
- 1 cup cubed cantaloupe
- 1 cup grapes
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 apple medium
- 2 kiwis peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- 1 mango large
- 1 banana large
- ½ cup raspberries
- Mint leaves optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Rinse all the fruit and drain very well. Air dry or blot with paper towels.
- Peel and cut all the fruit in bite size, making sure they are all of similar size. Cut the grapes into halves, if they are large. If using canned pineapple, drain the juices before using. Cut bananas and apples in the end, just before adding to the salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest and honey.
- Add the fruits, such as strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple, kiwis, apples, pomegranate arils and toss. Add mangoes, bananas and stir in gently. Top with raspberries and carefully incorporate into salad.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving. If letting it rest overnight, then add the bananas and raspberries 1 to 2 hours before serving.
- Add some mint leaves to the salad or use it for garnish, if you prefer.
Notes
- Fruit Selection:
- First combine all other fruits with the dressing and then add soft fruits like bananas.
- If using watery fruits such as watermelon, add that also towards the end.
- Do not use frozen fruit for this recipe.
- If you want a slightly thicker sauce, you can combine the dressing ingredients and cook it down at medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool before using it.
- Storage: Keep salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. After that some of the fruits may become softer, and some colors may leach into the sauce, which may affect its appearance.
- Make Ahead / Planning: Buy fruit fresh before making the salad. Plan on choosing the fruit such that they are optimally ripe when you make the salad. To make a large quantity, you can cut firm fruits that do not discolor and refrigerate one day ahead.
Carrie Robinson
You can never go wrong with a classic fruit salad! This looks amazing. :)
Noelle Simpson
Yum! This was such a great midday snack, perfectly refreshing! Thanks for the idea.
Tara
This fruit salad sounds absolutely amazing paired with that orange honey dressing. Love all the tips for the fruit to help the salad become perfect.
Roxana Begum
So happy you like it :)
Priya Lakshminarayan
My mom used to make fruit salad with custard. Never tried it with orange juice..nice idea!
Roxana Begum
It tasted light and refreshing.
Cate
What a great serving idea! I love fruit salad and this idea looks so unique and yummy, thanks for the idea!