I’m always going back and forth about what to have for breakfast on Christmas morning. Truthfully, do you know what usually happens? I stash a box of cold cereal in the cupboard to pull out before we open gifts (and maybe delay the temptation to dig in to the chocolate in our stockings) and then make a big breakfast/brunch a few hours later when we’re ready to sit down and enjoy a meal together. Ah, Christmas morning is a fun mix of joy and chaos, am I right?
But this year is going to be totally different. This year, I’m making a winter fruit salad that I’ll pull out Christmas morning and delight my family with. They’ll never see it coming.
Vibrant Citrus + Pomegranate Winter Fruit Salad
We’ve been expanding our horizons and trying new-to-us fruits, so for this fruit salad I added crunchy Asian pears, sweet and juicy persimmons and pomegranate arils to our usual mix of citrus fruits topped with fresh mint and a drizzle of honey. It’s a vibrant, pretty salad that everyone at our house loved.
The best thing about this winter fruit salad is that you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time and it will keep beautifully in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it. (Um, could anything be more perfect for Christmas morning when you’re doing a million and one things and running off of very little sleep from the night before? I think not.)
Simply chop your fruit ahead of time and place it an airtight tupperware container. If you find that it’s a little watery, line the container with a couple paper towels to help absorb the extra moisture and keep your fruit crisp instead of soggy.
Christmas morning, transfer your salad to a beautiful plate and arrange the fruit slices so they have a little breathing room. Top with extra pomegranate seeds and mint leaves to freshen it up.
Trust me, your family will never be the wiser!
Pomegranate Citrus Winter Fruit Salad
A vibrant, pretty winter fruit salad loaded with citrus, crunchy Asian pears and sweet and juicy pomegranate.
Ingredients
- 2 large ruby red grapefruit peeled and segmented
- 2-3 navel oranges peeled and segmented
- 2-3 medium pears any variety, cored and sliced
- 2 ripe persimmons thinly sliced
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 small bunch fresh mint cut into thin ribbons, or torn into pieces
Instructions
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Place the citrus fruit, pears, and persimmons into a serving bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and set aside.
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Cut the pomegranate in half horizontally. Working over a bowl set in the bottom of the kitchen sink, hold the pomegranate in your hand, cut-side down. Hit the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon. The seeds will fall from the membranes into the bowl. Fill the bowl with cool water. Any of the leftover membranes will rise to the top and can easily be separated from the seeds. Drain and sprinkle over the top of the other fruit.
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Sprinkle the fresh mint over the top and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to use whichever fruits you like for this salad. You don’t have to use the exact same ones we recommend.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.