Fruit Salad with In-Season Citrus

We may have only been chasing winter’s fleeting daylight for about a month, but if you’re anything like us, you could use a dose of in-season sunshine. For those who aren’t getting any, the Cara Cara orange offers a little taste of summer in the winter, when it conveniently comes to harvest December through May.

From the outside, Cara Caras may look like a run of the mill citrus, but don’t judge a book by its cover. Beneath its easy-to-peel skin, you’ll find deep, pink-grapefruit colored flesh that’s super juicy, low in acid, and seedless. Flavor-wise, imagine a cross between a naval orange and tangerine but throw in a hint of berries.

Not to mention, Cara Cara oranges are nutrient-dense, just like other citrus fruits. One medium Cara Cara orange provides 1 ½ days’ worth of vitamin C and fifteen percent of a day’s folate. Its vitamin A content really sets it apart from the standard naval orange. Since they’re rich in the red-hued carotenoids lycopene and beta-carotene, one medium Cara Cara provides enough vitamin A to cover thirty percent of a day’s requirements. All in an eighty-calorie water- and fiber-rich package.

Eat it alone or pair it with a ¼ cup of nuts, like almonds or walnuts, for a fiber-rich, blood-sugar stabilizing snack. If you’re feeling festive, toss it with a variety of seasonal fruits and a simple maple-lime dressing as a sweet addition to the dessert table at your next holiday gathering.

Winter Fruit Salad with Maple-Lime Dressing

Serves 12

Salad ingredients:

  • 2 apples, cored and diced
  • 2 pears, cored and diced
  • 2 Cara Cara oranges, peeled and separated into segments
  • 3 kiwis peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Dressing ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  1. Combine apples, pears, Cara Cara oranges, kiwis, cranberries, and pomegranate seeds in a large bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and lime juice.
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

 

Nutrition Facts: 97 calories, 0.5 g total fat, 2 mg sodium, 215 mg potassium, 25 total carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, 18 g sugar, 2 g added sugar, 0 g protein.

 

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