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Crisp Apple Fruit Salad Spice Dressing

Apple Fruit Salad Warm Fall Spice Dressing

A crisp and refreshing fruit salad with apples, pears, and pecans, tossed in a cozy, warm-spiced vinaigrette. A perfect side dish for autumn gatherings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Calories: 325
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Apple Fruit Salad
  • 3 large crisp apples about 500g, such as Braeburn or Gala, cored and chopped into 2cm pieces
  • 2 ripe but firm pears about 350g, such as Conference, cored and chopped into 2cm pieces
  • 150 g red seedless grapes halved
  • 75 g dried cranberries
  • 100 g pecans toasted and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the Warm Fall Spice Dressing
  • 60 ml apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Method
 

  1. Prepare the Fruit Base: Core and chop your apples and pears into bite-sized pieces. Place them immediately into a large salad bowl.
  2. Prevent Browning: Drizzle the lemon juice over the chopped apples and pears and toss gently. This is a crucial step to keep them from discolouring while you prepare the other ingredients.
  3. Add Remaining Salad Items: Add the halved grapes, dried cranberries, and about three-quarters of your toasted pecans to the bowl. Set the remaining pecans aside for garnish. Give everything a gentle mix to combine.
  4. Combine Dressing Ingredients: In a small saucepan, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, light olive oil, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt until well combined.
  5. Warm the Dressing: Place the saucepan over a low heat. Warm the dressing for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is just warm to the touch. Be careful not to let it simmer or boil, as this can make the vinegar taste too sharp. What works best for me is to test a drop on my wrist; it should feel pleasantly warm.
  6. Dress and Serve: Pour the warm spice dressing over the fruit salad in the bowl. Use salad servers to toss everything gently until the fruit is evenly coated. Garnish with the reserved toasted pecans and serve immediately.

Notes

Serve immediately while the dressing is warm for the best experience. This salad also pairs wonderfully with a scoop of Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream.