Description
A fresh, festive fruit salad with crunchy toasted pecans and a sweet-spiced citrus dressing—bright, seasonal, and perfect for the holiday table.
Ingredients
Fruit Base:
2 medium green apples (e.g., Granny Smith), cored and chopped
2 medium red apples (e.g., Honeycrisp or Fuji), cored and chopped
1 cup grapes (red or green), halved if large
3 medium navel oranges, peeled and segmented (cut into bite-size pieces)
¾ cup dried cranberries
1 medium lemon, juiced (use half to toss apples; reserve the rest if needed)
Nutty Crunch:
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (walnuts optional substitute)
Sweet & Spiced Dressing:
½ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
¼ cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
Optional Garnish:
Pomegranate arils
Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast 7–8 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden; cool, then roughly chop.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, and orange zest. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 3–4 minutes to infuse and slightly reduce. Strain to remove zest and cool completely.
3. Core and chop the apples into bite-size pieces; toss immediately with juice from half a lemon to prevent browning.
4. Peel oranges, remove pith, and cut segments into chunks (or supreme for clean segments). Halve grapes if large.
5. In a large bowl, combine apples, oranges, grapes, dried cranberries, and cooled toasted pecans.
6. Drizzle cooled citrus dressing over the mixture; toss gently until evenly coated.
7. Serve right away or cover and chill up to 2 days. Garnish with pomegranate arils and mint before serving.
Notes
Toast nuts just until fragrant to avoid bitterness—watch closely.
For a lighter dressing, reduce sugar to 2–3 tablespoons or swap part with honey or maple syrup.
Apples: Granny Smith add tartness; Honeycrisp/Fuji add sweetness—use a mix for balance.
Make-ahead: Prep fruit and dressing separately up to 1 day ahead; toss with nuts just before serving to keep crunch.
This salad is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.