I have never been a great fan of fruit salads, especially if they are piled high with some whipped-cream substitute and enough sugar to mask the taste of even the most potent fruits in the dish.  But yesterday while I was busy with preparations for the first burgers of the year, my wife was busy changing every notion I’ve ever had about fruit salad with this a one of a kind dessert.  In the end she had converted me, and now I’m singing the gospel of dressed fruit to all of you.  It really is too good not to share.

This fruit salad is really all about the dressing, and it’s a versatile recipe that lends itself not only to fruit salad but to salad greens as well, with a distinct orange flavor almost reminiscent of an Orange Julius.  I think with a little tweaking it would be perfect for chicken or pork and could easily be used as a marinade or as a main component in a fruit smoothie.  I honestly can’t say enough about it.  (I snuck off for another cup full of fruit as I was writing this, the picture was making my mouth water…)

The fruit used here was mostly of the frozen variety, as the season isn’t right in our part of the world just yet, but I can imagine that it would have been much better over fresh fruit.  I think that I’ll add some of the remaining dressing to some frozen fruit tomorrow morning for a nice little smoothie to start my day off right and let you know how it goes.

Yield: 4 servings

Fruit Salad with Honey Orange Dressing Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Print

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1 3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup honey
• The zest and juice of one orange
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (About one good-sized lemon’s worth)
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Fruit Salad:

• 1 bag frozen mixed fruit
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 small can peach slices
• 1 small can mandarin oranges

Instructions

Dressing:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in nonreactive (No aluminum!) container for up to 2 days in refrigerator.

Fruit:

1. Add all fruit to a colander over a large bowl and allow to thaw. If desired, reserve juices and add back to fruit. (If using fresh fruit, just slice it up and chill for approximately 20 minutes.)
2. To serve:
3. Place a large spoonful of fruit in a serving bowl or in a lettuce cup (Napa Cabbage works well for this, so does butter lettuce) Spoon 1 oz of dressing over fruit.
4. Share and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 3gSugar: 45gProtein: 7g

At the moment the only addition I can think of would be a little mint or perhaps some Grand Marnier, aside from that, this is wonderful!

Links to other recipes like this:

• Quinoa Fruit Salad with Yogurt, from Closet Cooking
• Mojito Fruit Salad, from Baking Bites
• Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad Recipe, from Simply Recipes