Thanksgiving Fruit Salad

Introduction

This Thanksgiving Fruit Salad is a refreshing and colorful side dish that combines crisp apples, juicy oranges, and toasted pecans with a sweet-spiced citrus dressing. It’s an easy way to brighten up your holiday meal with vibrant flavors and textures.

Ingredients

• 2 medium green apples
• 2 medium red apples
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup grapes
• 3 medium navel oranges
• 1 medium lemon (juiced)
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ tsp apple pie spice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread pecans on a baking sheet and place in the oven while it heats. Remove pecans once fragrant, about the time the oven is fully heated. Let them cool.
2. Step 2: In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, and orange zest.
3. Step 3: Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking to combine. Bring it to a low boil, then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Step 4: Strain the dressing through a fine mesh strainer and allow it to cool completely.
5. Step 5: Core and slice the green and red apples into bite-sized pieces. Toss them with juice from half a lemon to prevent browning.
6. Step 6: Peel the oranges, remove any seeds, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
7. Step 7: In a large bowl, combine the apples, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, grapes, and orange pieces.
8. Step 8: Drizzle the cooled dressing over the fruit and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Tips & Variations

• Use mixed nuts instead of pecans for variety or substitute with walnuts if preferred.
• For extra freshness, chill the salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
• Add a handful of fresh mint leaves for a herbal twist.
• Swap white sugar with honey or maple syrup to add depth of flavor to the dressing.

Storage

Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To maintain crispness, keep the dressing separate and toss just before serving. The salad is best enjoyed fresh, but gently re-toss before serving if stored.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I prepare this salad in advance?

You can prepare the salad a few hours ahead, but for the best texture and flavor, keep the dressing separate and combine just before serving to prevent the fruit from becoming soggy.

What can I substitute for apple pie spice?

If you don’t have apple pie spice, you can mix equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of allspice as a replacement.

Thanksgiving Fruit Salad

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 86 reviews

This Thanksgiving Fruit Salad is a vibrant, fresh, and festive side dish perfect for holiday gatherings. Featuring a colorful mix of apples, grapes, oranges, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans, it is dressed with a zesty, spiced citrus dressing that beautifully complements the natural sweetness and tartness of the fruit. The salad is easy to prepare and offers a refreshing alternative to heavier holiday sides.

• Author: Nethan
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Fruits

• 2 medium green apples
• 2 medium red apples
• 1 cup grapes
• 3 medium navel oranges
• ¾ cup dried cranberries

Nuts

• 1 cup pecans

Dressing

• 1 medium lemon (juiced)
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ tsp apple pie spice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Toast pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and put them into the oven while it heats. Remove the pecans as soon as you detect their toasted aroma, roughly when the oven reaches full temperature. Let them cool before using.
2. Prepare dressing base: In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, white sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, and orange zest. Whisk ingredients together until blended.
3. Simmer dressing: Place the saucepan over medium heat, bring the mixture to a low boil, and then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 3-4 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken the dressing.
4. Strain and cool dressing: Pour the dressing through a fine mesh strainer to remove zest and spice bits. Allow the dressing to cool completely.
5. Prepare fruit: Core and slice both green and red apples into bite-sized pieces. Toss them immediately with the juice of half a lemon to prevent browning.
6. Segment oranges: Peel the navel oranges, removing all white pith, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
7. Combine salad ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the prepared apples, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, grapes, and orange pieces.
8. Dress and toss: Drizzle the cooled dressing over the fruit and nut mixture. Toss gently to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately for a fresh, festive fruit salad.

Notes

• To keep apples from browning, toss them in lemon juice immediately after slicing.
• Toasted pecans add a warm, nutty flavor and crunch, but you can substitute with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
• The dressing can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; just whisk before serving.
• This salad is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
• Adjust sugar in the dressing according to the sweetness of your fruit.

Keywords: Thanksgiving, fruit salad, holiday side dish, apples, pecans, citrus dressing, dried cranberries, festive salad