Fennel and Plums with Honey-Ginger Vinaigrette
Charred Onion and Balsamic Cherries with Mustard Greens
Berries and Stone Fruit with Lime–Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Figs and Arugula with Salami and Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
Summer Fruits with Crushed Herbs
Orange and Parsley with Dried Olives
Butter Lettuce with Pink Grapefruit, Toasted Coconut, and Cayenne-Sesame Vinaigrette
FRUIT IN SALAD IS A POLARIZING THING, like ginger or cilantro—people tend to love it or hate it. I love it. Natural sugars found in all fruits complement vegetables and make for a well-rounded flavor profile in every bite.
Fruits can be left whole or sliced, cooked, dried, or smashed before being added to salads—all of which will provide a different texture, allowing for infinite possibilities. Don’t limit yourself when thinking about how a fruit salad will come together. You’ve likely had a few apple slices in a salad before, but what about apple shavings? Try cutting them into matchsticks or even altering the slicing technique. This changes the texture of a simple salad and keeps things interesting.
Altering the fruit slightly will also introduce new flavors and textures to a salad. Use dehydrated fruits—raisins are a given, but how about a dehydrated apple instead? Dried fruits like dates and raisins are sweet-forward—they tend to linger on the palate and offer a super-sweet bite to meals. Dried plums, cherries, and other stone fruits as well as all dried berries introduce a tart-sweet flavor that does well with bitter greens or strong winter leaves. You can pickle fruit in vinegar before adding it to a salad—the acid punches up the flavor and provides a tangy-fruity bite.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
FOR THE HONEY-GINGER VINAIGRETTE:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium fennel bulb (about ½ pound), cored and shaved thin
2 medium plums (about ½ pound), halved and thinly sliced
The first time I made and tried this recipe, I ate the entire bowl. These flavor and texture combinations make for a perfect salad! Here, it’s important to shave the fennel bulb—using a mandoline is a lifesaver, but if you don’t have that, use a knife, go slow, and get it as thin as possible. If left too thick, fresh fennel is hard to chew and can taste too much like anise to some. Save any leftover vinaigrette for your next salad or even a marinade—this dressing is a keeper.
► To make the vinaigrette, in a large bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper until well combined.
► Put the fennel and plum slices into the bowl and fold gently, until all are well coated. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
5 torpedo onions or other small, oval-shaped onions, cut into ½-inch slices
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups Bing cherries, pitted and halved
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
4 cups mizuna or mustard green mix
Freshly ground black pepper
This harmonious marriage of burned onion and fresh cherries is a summertime favorite of mine. I use this combo as a relish, as a condiment to grilled meat, and here, in a salad. Charred onions are crispy and delightful—their burned flesh mellows the bite of raw onion and brings out the savory quality in the best way. Here, hot onions macerate with fresh cherries, their warmth drawing out some juices, and make a lovely base for salad. I prefer the peppery bite from mustard greens like mizuna or ruby streaks, but feel free to use arugula or even a more delicate frisée, as it adds so much texture.
► Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
► On a large baking sheet, put the onions and toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Roast the onions until they are charred and the edges are blackening, turning them halfway through, about 20 minutes.
► While the onions are roasting, in a large bowl, put the cherries, honey, vinegar, and salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
► When the onions are done roasting, add them to the bowl, scraping all the oil from the baking sheet into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or piece of plastic wrap and set it aside to cool, about 20 minutes.
► Once the cherry-onion mixture has cooled to warm, add the mizuna and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the bowl. Toss until well combined and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
with Lime–Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 peaches, halved and then sliced
2 plums, halved and then sliced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
FOR THE LIME–POPPY SEED VINAIGRETTE:
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons black poppy seeds
1 teaspoon honey
Zest from 1 medium lime
Freshly squeezed juice from 1 medium lime
I’m not a huge fan of fruit salads—the longer fruit sits in acid, the mushier the texture becomes. I prefer fruit laid out on a platter, not tossed into a big bowl, which keeps them fresh and whole. Be sure to use just-ripe produce for this salad and choose it for an occasion where the platter won’t be sitting for hours. In winter, substitute bananas, mangoes, and kiwi. Any leftovers can be used to top morning granola bowls or added to a smoothie, as the creamy dressing is made from yogurt and fruit juice.
► Arrange the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and plums evenly across a large platter. Sprinkle the mint evenly on top.
► To make the vinaigrette, in a small jar, combine the yogurt, oil, poppy seeds, honey, and lime zest and juice and shake well for about 30 seconds. Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the fruit and serve immediately.
AS THE SEASONS PASS BY, the type of fresh fruit offering will change, providing a revolving selection at any point in the year. Summer fruits are juicy all on their own, while in winter fresh citrus provides a bitter tang with only mild sweetness—excellent for waking up heavy winter meals. This calendar of fruits is an easy way to make informed choices at the grocery store—just choose what’s in season and purchase that. Here’s a short cheat sheet:
SEASONS FOR FRUIT:
NOVEMBER–MARCH Blood oranges, coconuts, grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges, tropical fruits
APRIL–JUNE Blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries
JULY–AUGUST All melons, apples, blackberries, cherries, figs, nectarines, peaches, plums
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER All nuts, apples, cranberries, grapes, olives, pears, pumpkin, winter squash
with Salami and Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
4 cups arugula
4 ounces hard sausage, chopped
8 ripe figs, quartered
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
This salad is the perfect recipe to let go of the pressure to use exact measurements and process. When I make it at home, I use a small spoon to grab ingredients for the vinaigrette and grab one heaping handful of greens per person—it’s always delicious. On a recent summer visit, I spent a month in Croatia with my cousin and friends, and I made this salad every day simply because we had the ingredients around the house. My friend Matea brought a large, homemade sausage from her village, arugula was plentiful at the markets, and we always had figs on hand from the tree out back. The Croatians loved it—they wouldn’t normally mix fruit into their salads, or add a hard sausage. A match made in heaven.
► In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey until combined. Add the arugula, sausage, and figs and fold gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups cubed cantaloupe
1 peach, cut into thin wedges
1 pound assorted tomatoes, larger tomatoes cut into wedges
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
In this dish, fresh herbs are muddled to a thick paste and tossed with a handful of in-season fruits—tomatoes, peaches, and cantaloupe. Served at room temperature, this savory-sweet salad is pretty to look at and makes a wonderful side dish to grilled meats. Cut all the fruit into similar sizes so that you have a little bit of everything on every forkful. For a more fortifying salad, add a few spoonfuls of soft cheese like chèvre or ricotta to each serving.
► With a mortar and pestle, muddle the mint and cilantro by smashing them until they are broken down and juicy. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then add the cantaloupe, peach, tomatoes, salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil. Fold gently to combine, making sure everything is covered with the herbs. Set aside for the flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, before serving. Leftover salad can be held in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 day. Fresh herbs should be added to liven up the flavors before serving leftovers.
with Dried Olives
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 large Navel or Cara Cara oranges, rinds and pith cut off, cut into thin rounds
½ bunch fresh parsley, leaves picked off and stems finely chopped
3 ounces dry-cured olives
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
⅛ teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A surprisingly delicious salad, this makes the most of the few greens on offer in the dark of winter. Orange slices are covered in a thick mat of whole parsley leaves, while dry-cured olives offer a salty, toothsome edge. Easy to put together and made with super-affordable ingredients, this is a great salad to serve on a platter for crowds. If the oranges are a bit dry or sour, you can always drizzle a bit of honey over the tops as well. The orange flower water lends a subtle floral note, but you can omit it if it’s not your thing.
► To compose the salad, spread the orange slices in a single layer on a platter with the edges slightly overlapping. Sprinkle the parsley evenly across the oranges. Spread the olives evenly on top.
► In a small jar, combine the oil, vinegar, and orange blossom water. Shake vigorously until well combined and emulsified, about 30 seconds. Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly across the platter, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
with Pink Grapefruit, Toasted Coconut, and Cayenne-Sesame Vinaigrette
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 medium pink grapefruit
3 tablespoons avocado or extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon sesame oil
1 medium head butter lettuce
2 Belgian endives, cut into 1-inch slices
1 medium avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
This is a delicate and beautiful winter salad. Soft butter lettuce leaves fold around wedges of sweet pink grapefruit and rich avocado—a lovely pairing. Toasted coconut flakes offer both texture and flavor, while the cayenne-spiked vinaigrette has a bit of bite. All in all, it’s as pretty as it is tasty—a great winter staple.
► To make the grapefruit supremes, cut both the top and bottom from the grapefruit and set it on a cutting board, cut side up. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the peel by running the knife lengthwise from top to bottom, removing only the peel and white pith. Be careful not to cut too deeply into the fruit flesh. Holding the fruit over a large bowl to catch the juices, slice segments between the membranes, working toward the center of the fruit. Rotate the grapefruit as you work, until all the flesh has been cut out into triangular segments. You should have about 1 cup of fruit. Squeeze any residual juice from the membranes into the bowl, about 2 or 3 tablespoons, and discard membranes.
► To the bowl with the grapefruit juice and supremes, add the avocado oil, vinegar, honey, cayenne, and sesame oil. Whisk until well combined and emulsified. Add the butter lettuce, endives, and avocado to the bowl and fold until well combined.
► Portion the salad equally across four plates. Over each salad, drizzle any remaining vinaigrette and scatter the coconut before serving.
with Chilies
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
8 celery stalks from the heart or 4 large celery stalks
1 large Naval, Cara Cara, or Valencia orange
1 large avocado, cubed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Celery is a vegetable that many people keep lying in the crisper for weeks on end but seldom gets used or appreciated. Happily, celery can be a lifesaver for making salads—it’s something green, it’s crispy, and it’s affordable. Here, we lean on the tender, light-colored interior heart to make a colorful and flavor-forward salad, leaves and all. Sliced thinly and paired with creamy avocado and tangy orange slices, this is the perfect salad for feeding a crowd and a great item to pack if you’re traveling—the celery won’t break down and turn to mush, and it is infinitely healthier than any food you’ll find at an airport.
► Cut the celery stalks and leaves, working slowly to cut them as close to paper thin as possible. In a large bowl, put the sliced celery. (If using large stalks of celery, you can slice thinly on a mandoline.)
► To prepare the orange, cut both the top and bottom from the orange and set it on a cutting board, cut side up. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the peel by running the knife lengthwise from top to bottom, removing only the peel and white pith. Be careful not to cut too deeply into the fruit flesh. Hold the orange over the celery bowl to catch the juices, cut segments between the membranes, working toward the center for the fruit. Rotate the orange as you work, until all the flesh has been cut out into triangular segment. Add the orange wedges to the bowl. Squeeze any residual juice from the membranes into the bowl and discard the membranes.
► Add the avocado, oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and chili flakes to the bowl and fold to combine well, making sure no lumps of mustard or honey are left. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and serve.
