Dragon Fruit Salad is a bright and colourful fruit salad tossed in a puckery lime, ginger dressing that will bring some exotic, tropical flavour to your table.
When it comes to exotic fruits dragon fruit undoubtedly tops the list. While the vibrant pink variety often steals the spotlight, the lesser-known white dragon fruit is equally delightful especially when transformed into a refreshing salad.
For more exotic fruit salad recipes why not try our gorgeous Plum Salad with cardamom?
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Dragon fruit - the star of the show and available in red or white, it is up to you which one you prefer. Keep in mind that you need to handle the red carefully as it bleeds. If you are looking to replace it in this salad I would try your favourite melon - honeydew, rockmelon/cantaloupe, casaba, etc.
- Papaya - used to add some colour and to add tropical flavour, try some paw paw or mango instead.
- Berries - we chose strawberries and blueberries mainly for their gorgeous colours. Replace with any berry combination you prefer or replace with cherries or colourful grapes.
- Dressing - the sweet dressing in this salad is quite tart and spicy as it has quite a bit of lime and ginger. Taste and adjust according to your liking, you may like to add some more sugar, some honey or maple syrup if you have a sweet tooth.
- I have also included a lot of dressing in this salad as I served it as dessert with coconut yogurt, please feel free to halve it.
How to Make It
Step 1 - Cut Up Fruit
Wash the dragon fruit and cut it in half lengthwise, I find it easier to use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh but the skin may also be gently prised apart from the flesh.
Place the dragon fruit face down on your cutting board and cut it into bite-sized cubes.
Wash the papaya and peel using a vegetable peeler, cut it in half lengthwise then scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and rinse to remove all seeds.
Place face down on your cutting board and cut into bite-sized cubes.
Wash and peel the kiwi fruit, quarter it lengthwise and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2 - Prepare Berries
Place your strawberries in a colander and rinse well under gently running cold water, so as not to damage them. Strawberries absorb water easily so that is why it is best to wash and then hull them.
Gently tap the bottom of the colander in the sink to allow the water to drain, and pat dry. Hull the berries and then slice them in half or quarters depending on how large they are.
Place the blueberries in a separate colander and rinse well under gently running cold water. Tap the colander and pat dry.
Step 3 - Shake Up Dressing
Place all the dressing ingredients in a glass-sealed container and shake well to combine.
Taste and adjust to your liking. This is a puckery, tart dressing if you prefer something a bit sweeter then add some more sugar, honey or maple syrup.
Step 4 - Assemble Salad
Place the fruit, and berries in a large mixing bowl and pour over the dressing.
Then mix well to combine, arrange in a salad bowl and serve with coconut yoghurt or ice cream.
Serving Suggestions 🍽
You can keep it simple and serve it with some vanilla ice cream or coconut yoghurt or try it with a coconut pudding or with meringue and cream for a tropical version of Eton mess.
Tips and Questions
What Is Dragon Fruit?
- Dragon Fruit is sometimes called pitaya or pithaya, While classed as a tropical fruit, it is actually the fruit from a cactus species that originated from Central and South America. It is very high in vitamin C, dietary fibre and antioxidants.
- It is a soft fruit with a texture reminiscent of a melon while the flavour is different depending on its colour.
- Malaysian and Vietnamese white-fleshed fruit is mild and tastes like a cross between a pear and a kiwi fruit. Nicaraguan red-fleshed fruit is much sweeter and meatier with a taste similar to watermelon.
Are Papaya and Paw Paw the Same?
While both are classed as tropical fruits they are two very different fruits entirely.
- Papayas are oval-shaped with red flesh and a sweet exotic flavour (a cross between rockmelon/cantaloupe and mango).
- Pawpaws are shaped round and have yellow flesh and a mellow taste like (a cross between a banana and a mango).
Can I Make It Ahead?
Absolutely, in fact this is one of those salads that really benefits by being made several hours in advance and left to chill in your fridge until you are ready to serve it. The extra time allows the fruit to marinate in the aromatic dressing for a huge flavour boost!
What About the Leftovers?
The leftovers are even better the next day and can be used to snack on or to have for breakfast with some yoghurt or on top of granola and muesli.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 600 grams dragon fruit (approximately 2 dragon fruit, 21 oz)
- 700 grams papaya (approximately 1 medium, 25 oz)
- 250 grams Kiwi fruit (approximately 2 kiwi fruit, 9 oz)
- 125 grams blueberries (approximately 1 punnet, 4.5 oz)
- 250 grams strawberries (approximately 1 punnet, 9 oz)
- ½ cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tablespoon Ginger (freshly grated)
- 2 tablespoon Brown sugar
Instructions
- Wash the dragon fruit and cut it in half lengthwise, I find it easier to use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh with a large spoon but you can also gently prise the skin from the flesh. Place the dragon fruit face down on your cutting board and cut into bite sized cubes.
- Wash the papaya and peel using a vegetable peeler, cut it in half lengthwise then scoop out the seeds with a spoon, rinse to remove all seeds. Place face down on your cutting board and cut into bite sized cubes.
- Wash and peel the kiwi fruit, quarter it lengthwise and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Place your strawberries in a colander and rinse well under gently running cold water, so as not to damage them. Strawberries absorb water easily so that is why it is best to wash and then hull them.
- Gently tap the bottom of the colander in the sink to allow the water to drain, and pat dry. Hull the berries and then slice them in half or quarters depending on how large they are.
- Place the blueberries in a separate colander and rinse well under gently running cold water. Tap colander and pat dry.
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a glass sealed container and shake well to combine.
- Taste and adjust to your liking. This is a puckery, tart dressing if you prefer something a bit sweeter then add some more sugar, honey or maple syrup.
- Place the fruit, berries and dressing in a large mixing bowl and mix well to combine. Arrange in a salad bowl and serve with coconut yoghurt or ice cream.
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