Description

This vibrant and refreshing fruit salad features a delightful mix of fresh tropical and berries fruits glazed with a sweet, citrusy apricot sauce. Perfect for summer gatherings or as a healthy dessert, this salad combines pineapple, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, mangos, blueberries, raspberries, and mandarin oranges, gently tossed in a bright lemon and apricot preserve glaze and optionally garnished with fresh mint.

Ingredients

Scale

Glaze

1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Fruit

1 pineapple, chopped smaller than usual
2 cups purple grapes, halved
2 cups green grapes, halved
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
5 kiwi, peeled and quartered
2 large mangos (or 4 small), chopped
10 ounces blueberries
6 ounces raspberries (optional)
2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
Fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the glaze: In a large serving bowl, combine the apricot preserves, granulated sugar, freshly grated lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is smooth.
Add pineapple: Chop the pineapple into smaller pieces than usual to ensure balanced texture throughout the salad. Add the chopped pineapple to the glaze in the bowl.
Halve grapes: Using a serrated knife, halve approximately 2 cups each of purple and green grapes. Add them gently to the bowl to avoid bruising.
Prepare strawberries: Hull the strawberries and slice them into quarters. Add them to the bowl carefully to preserve their shape.
Peel and quarter kiwi: Chop off the kiwi ends, peel using a peeler or paring knife, then cut each kiwi in half, then in half again to quarter. Optionally chop once more but avoid over-chopping to prevent them from disintegrating. Add kiwi to the bowl.
Chop mangos: Stand the mango upright and slice down close to the pit on both sides. Score the fruit in the mousse without cutting the peel, flip to expose cubed fruit, then slice fruit off the peel. Add chopped mango to the bowl.
Add berries: Gently add 10 ounces of blueberries and 6 ounces of raspberries to the bowl. Stir very gently to combine all fruit with the glaze without crushing delicate berries.
Drain and add mandarins: Open 2 cans of mandarin oranges, drain well to remove excess juice, then gently fold them into the fruit salad.
Serve: Serve the fruit salad immediately, optionally garnished with fresh mint leaves. Note that the flavors are best when fresh; store any leftovers covered in the fridge and consume promptly.

Notes

Use a microplane grater to zest lemons for the best flavor and texture.
Chop fruits into balanced sizes to ensure that no piece overwhelms the others in texture and taste.
Handle delicate berries gently to avoid bruising and losing shape.
The fruit salad is best served fresh as it loses flavor and texture the longer it sits.
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within a day for best taste.
Fresh mint garnish is optional but adds a lovely aroma and refreshing accent.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: fruit salad, fresh fruit salad, apricot glaze fruit salad, healthy dessert, summer salad, mixed berry salad, tropical fruit salad