1cupmandarin oranges, drained, or fresh mandarin/navel orange segments
1cupdiced apples or pears
1cuphalved grapes
½cuppomegranate seeds
Dressing:
1tablespoonhoney
2tablespoonsorange juice, see note for lemon variation
Light pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
Place the fruit in a serving bowl. (If using pears, because they sometimes darken faster than apples, I like to toss them with a light squeeze of lemon juice before adding to the salad.)
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the fruit and toss to combine.
The fruit salad can be made a couple hours ahead of time - keep in mind that depending on what type of fruit is used, the colors may seep into each other as the salad sits.
Notes
Fruit: as noted above, the fruit is very adaptable to what is in season and what you prefer. You'll want about 5-6 cups total fruit (not including the pomegranate seeds). The lineup listed above is my favorite (I use pears when I can find delicious, ripe ones).Pomegranate Seeds: I personally think the pomegranate seeds are essential for this fruit salad - for color, texture, flavor and prettiness. I haven't had great luck with the cups of pomegranate seeds you can buy at various stores (they are often mushy and have a weird texture), so I prefer digging the seeds out of a pomegranate myself. TIPS: you can either halve and peel apart the pomegranate and gently pound the skin side with a wooden spoon, letting the seeds fall out into a bowl OR quarter the pomegranate and submerge the pomegranate quarters in a bowl of water pulling apart the pieces and letting the seeds fall to the bottom (the skin and white parts of the pomegranate will float to the top).Dressing: my favorite way to make the dressing is to use 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice (both freshly squeezed, if you can, especially the lemon juice). I love the tangy freshness from the lemon. But if you want it a bit sweeter and not as tangy, use all orange juice.Cinnamon: you want a very light pinch of cinnamon - less than 1/8 teaspoon. It adds something so special to this salad and the small amount doesn't overpower the flavor.