10-minute Thanksgiving fruit salad is a quick and easy side dish that is kid-friendly and healthy! Full of in-season fall fruits, this light and refreshing bowl is so easy yet feels gourmet! Make this homemade fall fruit salad with apples and other fall fruits!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Here are the top five reasons you need to make this Thanksgiving fruit salad recipe:
- A simple gourmet fresh fruit salad full of colorful fruit, crisp textures, and delicious light flavors!
- Quick and easy to throw together in about 10 minutes for Thanksgiving dinner or fall potlucks.
- A healthy addition to your holiday meal - naturally vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free with no jello and no Cool-Whip.
- A light Thanksgiving side dish to accompany hearty sides like corn casserole and mashed potatoes along with Thanksgiving turkey.
- Easy to customize with your favorite seasonal fruits.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
What Fruit Is in Season During Thanksgiving?
Have you wondered what fruit is popular during Thanksgiving? Adding seasonal fall fruit is a light and refreshing addition to your Thanksgiving feast or holiday table.
A mix of fall fruits and crunchy nuts create this delicious Thanksgiving fruit salad recipe.
Mix together seasonal fresh fruit like Granny Smith or red apples, green grapes or red grapes, pomegranate seeds (arils) or fresh cranberries, canned mandarin oranges or fresh clementine oranges, and kiwi.
Toasted crunchy pecans, cashews, almonds, or walnuts give this holiday fruit salad a delicious nutty flavor.
Vinaigrette Ingredients
A light drizzle of champagne vinegar and lime juice combined with sea salt and mint leaves creates a light citrus honey dressing.
The vinaigrette gives this winter fruit salad an added layer of freshness.
Either mix the ingredients in a small bowl or just drizzle them over the top of the salad.
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad Customization Ideas
In place of crunchy apples, try Barlett or D'Anjou pears.
Blue cheese or feta cheese adds a creamy component and an additional layer of flavor.
Mix in some vanilla Greek yogurt or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for a more sweet, creamy dressing.
Orange zest, lime zest, or lemon zest adds additional citrus flavor to the dressing.
Sprinkle some warm spices like pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice into the vinaigrette to add some additional spice and flavor.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe with the best results. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1
Clean all fruit and chop into bite-sized pieces as necessary and add to a large bowl.
Step 2
Toss gently with or without dressing ingredients as desired.
Expert Tips & Things to Know
To avoid browning, mix the autumn fruit salad with some fresh lemon juice.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Make this Thanksgiving salad up to 1 day prior. Transfer the fruit to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon to avoid getting too much liquid. Wait until serving on Thanksgiving day to dress the salad.
Recipe FAQs
Fruits such as apples, pomegranates, cranberries, figs, grapes, and pears are all popular Thanksgiving fruits. Any of these will work well in this salad.
A squeeze of lemon juice will help to keep the fruit from turning brown.
More Light Side Dishes for Your Thanksgiving Menu!
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Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Equipment
- large salad bowl
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples chopped
- 1 cup grapes halved
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils
- 2 medium kiwi sliced and halved
- ⅓ cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 1 cup mandarin oranges fresh or canned
Optional Dressing Ingredients
- mint
- 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Clean all fruit and chop into bite sized pieces as necessary and add to a large bowl.2 medium apples, 1 cup grapes, ⅓ cup pomegranate arils, 2 medium kiwi, ⅓ cup pecans, 1 cup mandarin oranges
- Toss gently with or without dressing ingredients as desired.mint, 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 pinch sea salt
Notes
- To avoid browning mix fruit with some lemon juice.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Make Ahead: May be made ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day prior. Transfer fruit to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon to avoid getting too much liquid. Also, if using a dressing, wait until serving to dress the salad.
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