Winter Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (Printable)
Vibrant seasonal fruit salad featuring oranges, apples, pears and pomegranate tossed in a tangy-sweet poppy seed dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Fruits
01 - 2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
02 - 2 medium apples, cored and chopped
03 - 2 medium pears, cored and sliced
04 - 1 cup pomegranate seeds
05 - 1 cup red grapes, halved
06 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries
→ Poppy Seed Dressing
07 - 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
08 - 2 tablespoons honey
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tablespoon orange juice
11 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
# Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the oranges, apples, pears, pomegranate seeds, grapes, and dried cranberries.
02 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, orange juice, poppy seeds, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
03 - Pour the poppy seed dressing over the fruit mixture. Gently toss until all fruit is evenly coated.
04 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The poppy seed dressing has this magical way of uniting all the different fruit flavors without masking their individual characters, something I discovered completely by accident.
- You can prep all the components ahead of time and assemble just before guests arrive, which saved me during an impromptu winter brunch when the power went out and I needed something ready to serve.
02 -
- I once rushed the preparation and didnt pat the orange segments dry, which made the dressing too watery, so now I always let citrus drain on a paper towel first.
- Adding the pomegranate seeds last prevents their vibrant red juice from staining the lighter fruits and keeps the salad looking picture-perfect.
03 -
- After years of making this salad, Ive found that mixing the dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shaking vigorously creates a creamier emulsion than whisking by hand.
- If youre serving this for a special occasion, reserve a few pomegranate seeds and fresh mint leaves to scatter on top just before bringing it to the table for a professional-looking finish.