Do you dress a fruit salad?

[Ginevra]

I want to have a fruit salad at my daughter’s grad party with these fruits: watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries. I want this to be vegan and GF for an option for some of my guests who have one of those two needs. Should a fruit salad have a dressing? Or is a bowl of fruits alone fine? 

 

[AmandaVT]

I have never heard of putting dressing on fruit salad. Like vinaigrette? Also, I'm picturing apples and bananas in clothing right now. 😂

So I'm voting for naked fruit. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I prefer all my salads nude.

[Arcadia]

I am thinking a fruit platter on a rectangular tray instead of in a bowl might be better for my DS14 who doesn’t like different fruits touching each other. Mixed fruits in a bowl makes me think of fruit punch.

[Junie]

I've had fruit salads both ways.  I think it's fine to leave it plain as an option for people with dietary restrictions.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

I am thinking a fruit platter on a rectangular tray instead of in a bowl might be better for my DS14 who doesn’t like different fruits touching each other. Mixed fruits in a bowl makes me think of fruit punch.

That’s not a bad idea. 

[Pawz4me]

Please don't ruin glorious, healthy fruit by putting anything on it. If you want to give guests the option then have a separate bowl of dressing.

[KrissiK]

Sometimes I do.  Sometimes I will thin down some apricot or peach jam with a little water and use that as a light glaze.   Sometimes I will mix a little honey or jam with yogurt and thin that down and use that.  Sometimes I serve the fruit salad plain.

[mmasc]

Another vote for definitely no dressing. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

3 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

It's so funny because I feel the same way about a veggie salad.  My lunch today was a salad of mixed lettuce, leftover ham, chopped toms, cukes olives and some cheese...I only put a little bit of salt on it.  Give me a dry salad over a dressed one any day lol  

I wholeheartedly agree, minus the salt. Nude all the way for me.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

I wholeheartedly agree, minus the salt. Nude all the way for me.

I’m definitely leaning towards naked, and the more I think of it, the more I like @Arcadia‘s suggestion of arranging fruit on a platter, instead of mixed in a bowl. Although that might preclude blueberries because it’s a little hard to serve them that way. But I can picture doing this and having a little pair of tongs so people can just select some pieces of fruit. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 minute ago, Quill said:

I’m definitely leaning towards naked, and the more I think of it, the more I like @Arcadia‘s suggestion of arranging fruit on a platter, instead of mixed in a bowl. Although that might preclude blueberries because it’s a little hard to serve them that way. But I can picture doing this and having a little pair of tongs so people can just select some pieces of fruit. 

Perhaps the blueberries can be arranged as garnish?

[mmasc]

1 minute ago, Quill said:

I’m definitely leaning towards naked, and the more I think of it, the more I like @Arcadia‘s suggestion of arranging fruit on a platter, instead of mixed in a bowl. Although that might preclude blueberries because it’s a little hard to serve them that way. But I can picture doing this and having a little pair of tongs so people can just select some pieces of fruit. 

I’ve never had the blueberry situation, but using those cute little toothpicks with the colored plastic (?) on the end works really well for your other fruits. And they look cute when the fruit is separated on a platter. And they can be tossed in the trash!

[Lori D.]

10 minutes ago, Quill said:

... the more I think of it, the more I lik... arranging fruit on a platter, instead of mixed in a bowl. Although that might preclude blueberries because it’s a little hard to serve them that way...

A little serving bowl and serving spoon takes care of that. 🙂

Edited June 4, 2019 by Lori D.

[Matryoshka]

56 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

I prefer all my salads nude.

Ditto!!  I hate salad dressing generally, but definitely not on a fruit salad! 

[TechWife]

I haven't done a dressing on a fruit salad, but I have offered dip alongside cut fruit. My favorite one is mixing these ingredients together:

1 sm. container of low fat vanilla yougurt

1 sm package of lemon jello mix (not pudding mix, gelatin mix)

1 sm tub of whipped topping

I put it in a bowl and put a serving spoon with it so people can put some on their plates if they want it.

 

[Lori D.]

Another "fruit nudist" here. 😂 The only dressing or dip I would consider for fruit (mostly for strawberries) is melted dark chocolate. 😍

[J-rap]

I might dress it with cinnamon, or chopped mint leaves and a splash of lemon juice, but that's all.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I normally leave a fruit salad plain.  However, if some of the fruit isn't particularly sweet, I may "dress" it with a little bit of orange juice.  I also do this with a fruit salad the next day to make it taste fresher.  

[Carol in Cal.]

If I include apples, I toss them in a little lemon juice and store in a plastic bag with the air burped out until right before serving.

I never include bananas as they get too nasty too fast in salads.  

I usually pour a little cointreau over the whole thing right before serving.  It adds a tiny bit of sweet complexity to the flavor.

I have had wonderful salads of tomatoes, watermelon, and strawberries sprinkled with coarse black pepper and tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.  That pushes the salad toward savory rather than sweet.  It's really good but not what I think of when I think of fruit salad.

[EKS]

Back in the 70s I remember having plain yogurt mixed with orange juice concentrate as a dressing for fruit salad.  It's actually quite good, though not vegan.

[Bambam]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. 

If I do, I do one of two dressings:
This one - https://therecipecritic.com/honey-lime-poppyseed-fruit-salad/

Or

Pie filling. Don't laugh. This is great. Dump a can of apple or peach pie filling and stir up your fruit salad. This is especially great if you have bananas in your salad so this stuff will coat them so they don't discolor. 

[Ellie]

Yes, although I don't make an actual fruit salad very often.

[Ellie]

29 minutes ago, EKS said:

Back in the 70s I remember having plain yogurt mixed with orange juice concentrate as a dressing for fruit salad.  It's actually quite good, though not vegan.

I have a recipe...somewhere...for a dressing that uses the o.j. concentrate, sour cream, and honey. SO tasty, but yeah, not vegan.

[Just Kate]

Like another pp, I would suggest a fruit dip, rather than a dressing. My favorite is cream cheese mixed with heavy whipping cream. I sweeten it with stevia, but you could also use sugar. Brown sugar is yummy in it too!

[ScoutTN]

Sometimes. For children, no.

I made a watermelon, tomatillo, strawberry and blueberry salad last weekend that had a balsamic and olive oil dressing ( 3 parts to 4 parts). It also had mint and finely chopped green onions in it. Adults gobbled it, kids not so much.

[HS Mom in NC]

Dressing on a fruit salad?  What sort of devilry is this!?

[Tanaqui]

The one fruit salad I ever make actually has a simple syrup at the end, I suppose that's "dressing".

Recipe:

One avocado, cubed

1 banana, chunked

6 each strawberries and cherries, halved

Combine all fruits. Juice one orange and make a simple syrup using that, an equal volume of white sugar, and a half an inch of ginger root, finely grated. Pour the (thin) syrup over the fruit.

[SKL]

Not necessary, but it might be nice to have some whipped cream on the side.  🙂

[Bluegoat]

I wouldn't have called it a fruit salad without dressing.  I'd just call that fruit.

In any case, usually I use booze, and maybe some fruit juice like orange or squeeze in a lime, possibly a little sugar.  

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, Bluegoat said:

I wouldn't have called it a fruit salad without dressing.  I'd just call that fruit.

In any case, usually I use booze, and maybe some fruit juice like orange or squeeze in a lime, possibly a little sugar.  

My great-grandpa used to mix fruit with rum (I think) and probably some sugar and leave it sit in a covered dish for a while to...I don't know...ferment?? We'd eat it over ice cream. So weird. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

[Loowit]

I put whipped cream on my fruit salad, but we never use melons.  Otherwise, if it is supposed to be plain fruit I would do it on a tray separated by type perhaps with a dip on the side.

[Liz CA]

Well, if you call this "dressing," I have added a little plain yogurt with some honey and lemon or orange juice mixed until liquid / creamy. Doesn't hurt the fruit a bit...  🙂

[Liz CA]

50 minutes ago, MercyA said:

My great-grandpa used to mix fruit with rum (I think) and probably some sugar and leave it sit in a covered dish for a while to...I don't know...ferment?? We'd eat it over ice cream. So weird. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

 

Yes! Grandma did this too and it is essentially fermenting which is supposed to be great for our tummies.

[katilac]

2 hours ago, Bluegoat said:

I wouldn't have called it a fruit salad without dressing.  I'd just call that fruit.

My thoughts exactly. You can serve fruit, or you can serve fruit salad, but you can't serve fruit salad that only contains fruit, lol. 

I vote for a dip or something on the side, bc lots of people do like that and you can do something very simple and healthy-ish. But plain fruit is generally a hit also. 

[Laurie]

1 hour ago, MercyA said:

My great-grandpa used to mix fruit with rum (I think) and probably some sugar and leave it sit in a covered dish for a while to...I don't know...ferment?? We'd eat it over ice cream. So weird. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

I remember being given something like "Friendship Fruit".   You're supposed to share the "starter", but I think I was afraid to eat any of it!  

This recipe looks like what I'm remembering:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/44942/friendship-fruit-starter/

[mathnerd]

6 hours ago, Quill said:

I’m definitely leaning towards naked, and the more I think of it, the more I like @Arcadia‘s suggestion of arranging fruit on a platter, instead of mixed in a bowl. Although that might preclude blueberries because it’s a little hard to serve them that way. But I can picture doing this and having a little pair of tongs so people can just select some pieces of fruit. 

I attended a party last weekend where they served fruit slices on a platter and the blueberries and raspberries were arranged in small white paper cups like these:

https://www.costco.com/Dixie-Everyday-3-oz-Cold-Drink-Paper-Cup%2c-600-count.product.100381602.html

It was a good idea because there were some who did not want the berries mixed in with the other fruit.

 

[Pen]

Grapecoat and straw beret

[Melissa in Australia]

I have always made fruit salad a few hours before , then sprinkled it lightly with sugar. and let it sit. some juice comes out of the fruit because of the sugar. it also stops the banana discoloring. just before serving I mix in some cream.

not vegan I know but that is how I have made it and the only way I have ever seen it made. I wouldn't call it dressing though.

 

[moonflower]

3 hours ago, Pen said:

Grapecoat and straw beret

 

believe this or not, I actually typed "grapecoat and straw beret" in the google search bar

[Lecka]

My mom does dress with plain yogurt that she has thinned in some way (lemon juice, juice from the bottom of the bowl the fruit were in).  It’s very good.  She adds sugar for my kids.  

Edit:  there will be some citrus juice if there is any citrus, anyway, even without adding sugar, I think.

I think it’s good either way — it can depend on if it’s intended as a dessert or as a healthy option.

My mom often serves this at breakfast so then it wouldn’t make sense to have it be more like a dessert, but as a dessert (sugar, cream) it is very good.  

Edited June 5, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

I was thinking about this a little more.

My mom will usually use frozen blueberries, which release a lot of juice, and she will usually have juice from citrus fruit.

Then other vegetable she does fresh, and they don’t release as much juice, but the blueberries will have released so much they will have a good flavor.

Peaches also release a lot of juice and have a good flavor for yogurt dressing.  

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by Lecka

[Pippen]

I don't usually dress a salad, but in my region a fruit tray might have a dip served alongside it. The one we use is one 8 ounce package of cream cheese (softened), one small jar marshmallow Fluff, a little orange juice, some orange zest and a dash of ginger is optional. People seem to enjoy it.

[marbel]

I've had fruit salad with and without a dressing of some sort; usually the dressing seems to be yogurt-based.   I've also just served a fruit plate with yogurt on the side, so people can pick the fruits of their choice and put the yogurt sauce/dressing on, or not.  I also put berries in a separate bowl.  There are a lot of children in my life, so this is sort of a nod to them.

Here is an example of a "dressed" fruit salad I've made.  Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme from Simply Recipes. It's delicious (I don't add the optional sugar) and hardly a dressing, but it's not just bare fruit. 

 

[GailV]

1 hour ago, marbel said:

 

Here is an example of a "dressed" fruit salad I've made.  Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme from Simply Recipes. It's delicious (I don't add the optional sugar) and hardly a dressing, but it's not just bare fruit. 

 

Woohoo -- I'm next up on the Meal Train for someone, and the temps have suddenly soared (mid 90s today) so cooking indoors is sounding icky.  This salad is going on the menu in place of an item that involved turning on the stove. Thanks!

[Ellie]

12 hours ago, Bluegoat said:

I wouldn't have called it a fruit salad without dressing.  I'd just call that fruit.

Exactly.

[katilac]

Now I want to have a fruit plate at my next gathering and label it Naked Fruit. 

[Lecka]

We call it a fruit salad if the fruits/berries are mixed together.  It has a nice ring to it!

[happypamama]

I like the idea of a fruit platter more than a mixed salad, with dip on the side. 

 

If you make the dip with gelatin, please leave it on the side for those who are vegetarian. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, katilac said:

Now I want to have a fruit plate at my next gathering and label it Naked Fruit. 

I’m totally doing that! My vegan friends are sure to appreciate it and it’s funny besides.