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Fruit Salad with Dried Cherry Vinaigrette

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Three-greens fruit salad with Granny Smith apple, orange, cashews, dried cherries, and a homemade dried cherry vinaigrette. Gluten-free and ready for spring.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

5 min

READY

2 days

This salad builds itself around an infused vinegar that takes two days to make and pays you back every time you use it for months. Dried cherries steeped in white wine vinegar produce a sweet-tart liquid with a deep ruby color that turns ordinary vinaigrette into something memorable.

Three greens give the salad its complexity: tender Boston lettuce for softness, fresh spinach for earthy weight, and Belgian endive for the slightly bitter crunch that ties everything together. Skipping the endive flattens the texture and removes the contrast that makes this salad work.

The fruit combination is also calculated. Tart Granny Smith apple slices, sweet orange segments, more dried cherries (this time whole), and roasted salted cashews each bring a different flavor and texture. The apple browns fast, so slice it last and dress it within five minutes.

For the vinaigrette itself, the ratio is just under one part vinegar to slightly more than one part oil, which is brighter and more acidic than the standard 3:1. That sharpness keeps the salad from skewing too sweet given the dried cherries and orange.

Kitchen Tips

  • Pat the spinach and lettuce dry thoroughly. Watery greens dilute the vinaigrette on the plate.
  • Toast the cashews in a dry pan for a minute or two for deeper flavor.
  • Make the dried cherry vinegar in advance; it keeps refrigerated for months and lifts other salads too.

Variations

  • Swap cashews for pecans or candied walnuts for a sweeter crunch.
  • Add crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese for a creamier, dinner-worthy upgrade.
  • Substitute pear slices for apple in autumn and use cranberries in place of dried cherries.

Ingredients

3 45
TABLESPOONS ML DRIED CHERRY VINEGAR *
4 60
TABLESPOONS ML VEGETABLE OIL
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SALT
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML BLACK PEPPER
ground
1 237
CUP ML CHERRIES
dried *
1 1
SMALL SMALL GRANNY SMITH APPLE
thinly sliced *
1 1
SMALL SMALL ORANGE
peeled and cut into sections
¼ 59
CUP ML CASHEW NUTS
salted *
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML BELGIAN ENDIVE
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML SPINACH
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML BOSTON LETTUCE

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Arrange greens on serving plate, add cherries, fruits and cashews. Serve with vinaigrette dressing.

DRIED CHERRY VINEGAR :

Combine 1 cup of dried cherries with 2 cup of white wine vinegar in a glass container. Cover and allow to steep for 2 days at room temperature.

Heat just to boiling point, strain through cheesecloth. Cool and store in tightly sealed container.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 93g (3.3 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 148 85% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 21%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 41% Vitamin C 36%
Calcium 4% Iron 5%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
 

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