The Best Winter Fruit Salad

The Best Winter Fruit Salad is filled with clementines, kiwi, pears, apples, and pomegranate, then tossed in sweet tart honey lime poppy seed dressing. These are all fruits that are in season in the fall and winter and when tossed with the most delicious dressing it’s a dinner winner for sure. This is a colorful healthy addition to any meal.

Serve this bright salad along with a hearty warm soup, like Copycat Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower, or Minestrone. Then add some homemade bread, like Miracle No Knead Bread or Parker House Rolls for a light but satisfying meal.

Christmas Fruit Salad

Fruit. I seriously can’t get enough fruit. I have always loved having fruit in the house and my little girl loves fruit just as much as I do! Even though I love summer fruits and am totally a strawberry gal, some of my favorite fruits are winter fruits. Clementines for example are always at our house as soon as they start putting them in the grocery stores. And I am totally obsessed with kiwis. Apples, pears, pomegranate seeds, everything comes together so perfectly in this mouthwatering salad.

I made this winter fruit salad quite a few times during the holidays and it is so bright, vibrant and delicious. We love having a fruit salad at the dinner table when we eat with family, and this one is always requested! It’s so simple and requires a little chopping and gets tossed in a honey lime poppy seed dressing. I love using honey lime in my fruit salads and it gives it a sweet and tangy coating on the fruit.

What to Put into Easy Winter Fruit Salad

Full of festive fruits and covered in a beautiful dressing.

• Apple: sliced and chopped in bite sized.
• Pear: Slice and chop
• Bananas: Peeled and sliced
• Kiwi: Peeled and cut into rounds
• Clementines: Peeled and separated
• Pomegranate Seeds: These are so yummy
• Honey: Adds the sweet to the dressing
• Lime Juice: Gives a nice zing to the salad.
• Poppy Seeds: Crunch and eye appeal
• Fresh Mint: Adds a nice hit of freshness to the dressing

How to Make Winter Salad

Comes together quickly.

1. Combine: In a large bowl place the apple, pear, bananas, kiwi, clementines and pomegranate seeds. Stir gently.
2. Whisk: In a small bowl whisk the honey, lime juice, poppy seeds and mint.
3. Toss: Drizzle the dressing over the fruit and toss gently to completely coat.

Pomegranate Hints

Pomegranates are a unique fruit, since you actually only eat the seeds. They are extremely healthy and taste so good. But getting your hands on them can be difficult. I love the color, flavor and crunch they add to this fruit salad. So here is one way to cut and deseed your pomegranates. Remember they can stain so take care about what you wear and use a plastic cutting board, as it can stain wood.

How to De-seed Pomegranates

Now if you don’t want to deal with taking the time do this or the mess, you can buy the arils already deseeded.

1. Cut both ends off the fruit.
2. Score the fruit in half all the way around the biggest part off of the fruit. Cut into the skin about half an inch all the way around. Using the knife, or  your hand pry the two halves apart.
3. Over a large bowl, hold one half of the fruit, seed side down in your hand. Using the back of a large spoon whack the pomegranate on the skin side all the way around.
4. The seeds will fall through your hands into the bowl. Pry any arils left behind.
5. Repeat with the other half.

Variations and Tips

This is an easy fruit salad to make the way you love.

• Bananas: Bananas tend to go brown quickly and are a very tender fruit. Don’t add the bananas till right before serving to keep them fresh looking and to save them from getting crushed by the other fruit.
• Apples: Apples also go brown quickly so I don’t usually add the apples or pears till I’m ready to add the dressing. The lime juice will keep them from turning brown.
• Chop it: Keep everything bite sized for easy eating and serving.
• Cold: Keep it chilled and cold so it doesn’t go mushy.
• Kiwis: Make sure your kiwis are ripe, if they aren’t just omit them. It’s better than having them bitter or super tart.
• Fruit variety: Use the variety of fruit you and your family like best. For instance we like fuji or honeycrisp apples and bartlett pears, but there are lots to choose from. Also feel free to omit or add fruit to your liking

How Long Does Fresh Fruit Salad Last?

If you have any leftovers I recommend taking out the bananas before putting in the fridge, they’ll be really mushy as leftovers. The rest will be keep perfectly for 2 days. Freeze any leftovers to use in smoothies.

More Fruity Dishes to Try

These are incredible tasty ways to get more fruit in your diet! Try them today!

• Christmas Fruit Salad
• Marshmallow Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
• Mouthwater Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Pita Chips
• Granola Fruit Pizza
• Fruit Galette