Even though the winter offers less of a variety of fruit than other seasons, it still provides some wonderful jewels to enjoy as long as they last. One way to enjoy winter fruit is with this Winter Fruit Salad. It’s a light, sweet and citrusy salad with pineapple, persimmon, orange, and pomegranate, all topped with a minted honey ginger vinaigrette. Lots of flavors and textures to brighten up a cold, gray winter’s day.
It’s a great salad to take to parties and potlucks and to substitute an ambrosia on a holiday day. Since it’s all fruit, nothing gets soggy as it sits. Everything stays fresh and firm even with the vinaigrette tossed in. In fact, it keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days making it a wonderful salad and snack to have on hand.
Winter Fruit Salad
A winter fruit salad made with pineapple, persimmon, citrus and pomegranate. Great for parties, potlucks, and large family gatherings. Keeps well in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- ½ fresh pineapple*, cut into little pieces
- 3 Tangerines or oranges*, separate wedges and cut in half
- 3 Fuyu persimmons, cut into little wedges, then cut in half
- 1 large crispy apple, cut into little pieces
- seeds from 1 pomegranate
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ½ tsp. honey or to taste
- 1 Tbsp. honey ginger white balsamic vinegar*
- 3 Tbsp. canola oil
- ½ tsp. crushed dried mint or 1 tsp. chopped fresh mint
- ½ tsp. poppy seed
- Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cut up all of the fruit and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the pomegranate seeds and lemon zest. Toss to combine.
- Re-whisk the vinaigrette and pour over the salad. Toss with the fruit.
Chill for at least 1 hour and then re-toss before serving.
Pineapple – If you can’t find fresh pineapple, canned pineapple can be used.
Tangerines – Pretty much any orange type citrus can be substituted for the tangerines: cuties, oranges, satsumas.
Apple – Use a crispy, tart apple like a cameo, honey crisp, or Granny Smith. The tartness will counter the sweetness of the other fruit and the crispiness will add a different texture.
Honey Ginger White Balsamic – If you don’t have this or a white balsamic, use this alternate vinaigrette.
1 tsp. honey or to taste
1/8 tsp. grated fresh ginger or 1/8 tsp. ginger powder
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
½ tsp. crushed dried mint or 1 tsp. chopped fresh mint
½ tsp. poppy seeds
If you haven’t tried a honey ginger white balsamic, then you need to. A friend of mine gave me a bottle last year and I was hooked the first time I tried it. You may be able to find it at a specialty oil & vinegar shop in your area or you can order it online. It’s worth every penny.
Hope you enjoy this Winter Fruit Salad with pineapple, persimmon, and citrus. Here are some other winter salads you might also enjoy.
If you are a kiwi fan, here is another delicious fruit salad from Julia’s Album with a little different combination of fruit that the one you see above.
Perfect vibrant and vitamins loaded bowl ! Happy Easter!
I make a very similar winter fruit salad, but with a different dressing, a spicy sugar syrup with star anise and cinnamon. I will try your dressing next time, it sounds great!
Thanks Adina! Your dressing sounds wonderful. I need to try it next time. Thanks!
Love that lead photograph! …and the salad.
Thanks Bobby! I had a good teacher. 🙂
A wonderful salad idea for the winter and all year long for my taste.
Persimmons are a favorite here, although I’m not sure if ours are fuyu. Most of our persimmons come from Spain and Israel. I must check with our produce stand and see how they compare to fuyu.
Thanks Ron! There are basically two types of persimmons – fuyu and hachiya. The fuyu are the ones shown in the first picture and when ripe, are very sweet, but firm. Hachiya are yellowish orange and are shaped like Roma tomato. When ripe enough to eat, they are quite mushy and mostly used for baking. My sister makes a great persimmon bread with hachiya.
Holy WOW! This is no ordinary fruit salad, its gorgeous. I am actually really surprised by the beauty of the winter fruits, its kinda not what you expect huh? The Minted Honey Ginger Vinaigrette sounds delicious, adding ingredients to my shopping list right this minute.
Thanks Anna! I know…the color is gorgeous isn’t it. And so different to a bowl of spring/summer fruits which make a great salad as well, but quite different in color, texture and flavor.
I love persimmons but have never thought of turning it to a salad dish. Love the combination of sweet, sour, and crispy from all the fruits used. I have not tried the honey ginger dressing but since I love everything gingery this is definitely a go for me. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Yi! Yes, it’s had not to just peel and eat persimmons. 🙂 But, they actually go quite well with these other fruits and the dressing.
MJ this fruit salad is really delicious and my guest who came to my home compliment me. Thanks for it and have a lovely day!
You are most welcome!!! I’m so glad you and your guest enjoyed! Thanks for commenting!
What a beautiful, colourful fruit salad, MJ. Love the vinaigrette recipes too. I’m fascinated by the idea of the white ginger balsamic – I’ll have to see if we have anything like that over here. In the meantime, I like your alternate vinaigrette recipe! Pinned. Thank you for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul.
Thanks for much April and thanks for all the sharing!
Hi MJ! How inspiring to see fruit salad with winter fruits! I love the combination of fruits you pick too, it is a delicious mix. Fuyu persimmons has the subtle sweetness and I love that taste. Really nostalgic flavor from childhood. 🙂
Thanks Nami! We didn’t eat persimmon growing up so for me, it’s a new adult treat. 🙂
Now this is a unique salad, never had this combination yet.
BTW Happy New Year to you and your family!
Thanks so much Raymund and a Happy New Year to you and your family as well!
A very interesting vinaigrette for fruit salad, I have never used oil to make some. I love persimmons, I eat them all through the winter, last week I’ve roasted them for a dessert as well, they were lovely.
Thanks so much Adina! The vinaigrette is very light because the highlight of this salad is all of the wonderful fresh fruit. 🙂 Oh, I like the idea of roasting persimmons!
Just enjoyed my first persimmon this year and love it, gorgeous salad!!!
Thanks so much Cheri!
This looks so good!! I will have to make this for my daughters! <3 – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Thanks so much Gingi!
Good call on the fuyu over hachiya every day of the week (we’re just tender about not yet cracking the case on our bitter hachiyas o;). G and I enjoy chopped fruit in the evening after we walk the dog – it’s an especially welcome snack this time of year as we transition out of holiday mode (let’s just say we didn’t exactly deprive ourselves) but I haven’t made an actual fruit salad in quite some time – I’m captivated by your mint infused vinaigrette and I have to say that this is one of the prettiest fruit salads I’ve seen – the illuminated colours in that second shot are truly gorgeous.
Thanks so much Kelly! Hachiya are so tricky. If they aren’t perfectly ripe, then they are inedible IMO. We try to eat chopped fruit once or twice a day. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes not, but at least we try. 🙂 I would say that the vinaigrette was the highlight of the salad, but the pineapple and persimmons were SO good, that they really stole the show.
I have a ripe pineapple in the kitchen and while it’s anything but winter, I’m dying to try this. The dressing sounds so tasty.
Thanks Maureen! Glad to see you doing better and back online!
I don’t know why, but I crave fruit more in winter than any other time. Maybe its my body telling me what it needs! What a great fruit salad recipe…..gotta try this one MJ! Oh, and your first photo looks like an oil painting still life. Just beautiful!!!!
Happy 2017!
Thanks so much Roz! I think craving fruit in the winter is the natural instinct to crave what you don’t have readily available. 🙂 Thanks for the comment about my first photo! The light was just right. 🙂
For me, fruit salad always brings a little bit of summer to winter. The color and bright flavor is the perfect companion to roasted meats. Yum!
Totally Agree Judy! Thanks!
I just adore persimmon and I remember the first time I ever tried one was in Japan. this fruit salad with the poppy seeds is so delicious and perfect for a light dessert.
Thanks so much Bobbi!
This is one gorgeous salad. I love persimmons and was trying to make a dessert with them over the weekend. I went to three stores and was told the season is over. Why, oh why do they have such a shrt season? I think they need to become more popular!
I, too, wish they had a longer season! I can usually find them at Costco for a couple of weeks after they stop showing at the my regular grocer, so I take advantage of them when I can get them. 🙂 Thanks Abbe!
This salad is so beautiful, MJ!! Winter fruits often get glossed over, but they are all super tasty.
Totally agree Amy! Thanks!
This is the most exotic winter fruit slald I have ever seen! And I love persimmons so great addition. The vinaigrette looks great too, I always like a touch of mint and the poppy seeds is a fun idea too.
Thanks so much Evelyne!
Your winter fruit salad sounds good. Would you believe I’ve never eaten a persimmon. When I was little, we had a persimmon tree in our yard but my mother said not to eat them as they would make your mouth pucker…so I never did. Evidently she was wrong. 😀
Thanks Karen! I’m actually not surprised. I had a very close friend tell me just the other day that she had never eaten a persimmon and I actually didn’t start until about 5 years ago. It was such a wonderful discovery of a new flavor that I just can’t get enough of. And yes, an unripe persimmon, especially a hachiya persimmon will definitely make your mouth pucker. 🙂
That’s a very pretty fruit salad. I love the colours. I don’t eat nearly enough persimmons. I must look out for this very special fruit more often xx
Thanks Charlie! I usually just eat my persimmons outright, but sometimes I do use them in other ways. I love this time of year so I can actually find them.
What a delightful salad!!! I live in persimmon country but I still haven’t tried one. Persimmon pudding is a big Thanksgiving staple in this area. But the ones in the market have looked so sad, it may have to wait until next year.
Thanks so much Liz! My sister used to make a persimmon pudding with Hachiya persimmon, but they are too mushy when ripe for this salad. You really need to use the Fuyu persimmon for it’s firmness.
MJ, the first photograph is so beautiful… I thought at first it was a painting!
The salad looks and sounds extraordinary. I usually make my fruit salads with a splash of rum and lime juice, so your dressing is a completely new concept. I also love the addition of poppy seeds. Such a clever idea! I always have them but would never ever think of adding them to a fruit salad!
What a flattering comment about my first photo!! Thanks! Bobby liked it too. Just got lucky, I guess. 🙂
Love the idea of a splash of rum and lime juice. That would actually work quite well with the flavors of this salad. Next time. Poppy seeds is pretty much a standard for fruit salads over here in the states. It’s used a lot with summer fruit salad and it worked well with this one as well. So I wasn’t as clever as I sounded. Ha Ha.
Dear MJ, now that I think about all your photographs, there is a recurrent still life painting feel to them… You are a skilled photograph, so don’t mention “luck” 😉
I had no idea poppy seeds were used in salads in the US! (I’m used to poppy seeds on buns/bread, in my mum’s chocolate cake I love and in the Polish poppy seed roll I hate; and now I use sometimes white poppy seeds in Indian dishes of course!).
You are such a nice person Sissi! Thank you so much for you sweet comments about my food and my photography. My husband is a professional photographer so he sees my frustration at times when I’m shooting, but he doesn’t hesitate to jump in and help and is always supportive. I don’t know if I would have lasted 6 aryears if it weren’t for him. 🙂
This looks simply fabulous!!! LOVE, and am going to make this week. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Thanks so much Susan! I hope you enjoy it!
Perfect combo with fabulous flavors. So glad to see your lovely comment after so long. Hope you’re well and Happy and Prosperous New Year to you and family..
Thanks TandT! Glad to see you as well. Thanks for the comment and hope you have a great year as well.
So we are going on a rice bowl and salad diet (of our own creation) and I would love a fruit salad to throw in the mix. I have never created anything with persimmons so this is exciting for me. Aside: I’ve had a terrible time finding pomegranates this year. Resorted to buying just the arils.
Great recipe, MJ!
I saw read about your diet and it sounds like fun! Good luck with. This salad should fit in quite well. I’ve been able to find pomegranates, but they have been relatively expensive, but worth it. 🙂
Gorgeous flavours and colours. I’m tempted to make one and serve it over drained Greek yogurt. If only I had the fruits. 🙂
Over Greek yogurt sounds wonderful! Thanks Darlin!
This is the best time of the year for citrus, so wonderful idea using it in a salad. That dressing looks really interesting — don’t often see both ginger and poppy seeds in the same dish! Sounds terrific. Such a pretty dish, too. Thanks!
Thanks John! Actually, the poppy seed was a last minute addition and it worked out great!
This is a gorgeous recipe MJ! I believe I can get all of the ingredients at my HEB market currently… I’ll have to give it a whirl. I love persimmons and rarely use them. Your Minted Honey Ginger Vinaigrette sounds like the perfect finishing touch!
Thanks Tamara! To be honest, whenever I buy persimmon I usually just peel and eat. However, this time I have a Costco flat, so there were plenty for this salad. 🙂
The salad looks so bright and pretty and love the simplicity of the flavors and freshness of mint. yum!
Thanks Taruna!
The bright, sunny colors and flavors of this scrumptious salad has my undivided attention! (My planter full of mint always needs a trim.) I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the bounty of winter.
Thanks Deb! The colors do make a gorgeous dish. I need to start growing mint indoors since I use it year round. I do dry it for the winter, but fresh mint is so much better.
So simple yet so great with all the fresh winter fruits. And that sweet gingery dressing sounds just as wonderful, MJ.
Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks so much Angie! The vinaigrette is pretty awesome.