When I was pregnant with Dillon, I craved fruit like nobody’s business.
At the time, we were living in the city where there was an abundance of fruit & vegetable markets at my fingertips- I miss those days. I would peruse through all of the fruit, carefully eyeing my selection which was usually something tart and sweet, like mangoes. I was obsessed with them. I would even gnaw on the core trying to pry every last bit from the pit!
Honestly, who on earth can actually cut a mango without destroying it? Not me.
Anyway, I used make a lot of fruit salads. It was my craving fix.
This recipe was inspired by a colorful dish that my Aunt served at Easter. I’m using a variety of tropical fruit including mangoes, pineapple, and a random star fruit (because I’ve always wanted to do that). You can switch it up according to taste. The real star however, is all in the glaze; it’s kissed with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. Unusual? Yes. Overpowering? No. There’s just enough to make you go, Oooo what’s in this? I also add honey and vanilla, and serve it nice and chilled.
These are the coveted Alphonso mangoes from India. I scored 4 of them for only $2! They’re in season now and they taste amazing.
With Mother’s Day coming up, I find the timing of this post quite serendipitous and unexpected, if anything. Isn’t it funny how the universe works? Or maybe I’m just pregnant again… (kidding).
On different note- the universe has also aligned me with Q Squared, a young design company based here in NYC. They gave me these pretty blue plates. Love? I do. You should feel these things… At first glance, I thought that they were porcelain. But shockingly they are 100% BPA free indoor/outdoor dinnerware. That means your kids can throw them on the ground and they won’t break (parents rejoice!) We will be working together over the next couple of months, so keep your eyes peeled for some pretty cool stuff. You can find this lovely collection here.
♥ Happy Mother’s Day Everyone! ♥
Tips:
- If you can find Alphonso mangoes, buy them! They are the sweetest, most delicious mangoes I’ve ever tasted. They do have a very short season, so if you can’t find them just use the regular ones instead.
- To save on time, buy your pineapple already cored and sliced.
tropical spiced fruit salad with mangoes + mint
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
Fruit
- 2 mangoes
- 1 fresh pineapple
- 2 kiwis
- 1 pint of strawberries
- 1/2 pint of raspberries
- 1 star fruit
Glaze
- 1/4 c. fresh orange juice
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- small pinch of nutmeg
- 1 vanilla bean
Garnish
- fresh mint
* Adjust the amounts according to your liking. If your fruit is a bit tart, you can add more honey to balance it out.
Instructions
- For the glaze, whisk the first 4 ingredients together until the honey is completely dissolved. Using a pairing knife, slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape out the seeds and add to the bowl (with the pods). Whisk well.
- Peel, slice and chop all of the fruit.
- Add everything (except the raspberries) to a large bowl. Top with the glaze and toss gently to combine.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until nice and chilled.
- Right before serving, toss lightly. Garnish with raspberries and fresh mint leaves. *See note.
Notes
* It is best to add the raspberries right before serving so that they do not get crushed.
Comments
janvi jan says
nice sharing thanks
Emilie says
Happy Mother’s Day Miss! Thank you so much. Are you back in the US? I’m excited to hear all about your trip! You have precut mangoes in your grocery store? I don’t!!! I would’ve been all over that if I saw it! I am the WORST at cutting them, gadget or not. definitely grab an Alphonso if you see one! So fun to try new things xx
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
Beautiful as always, and love the plates! I’ll be on the lookout for Alphonso mangoes, but I confess I always buy the precut at the grocery store because I hate cutting them:)
Pam Green says
What a lovely salad. I really like the bright colors against the pretty blue plate. I’ve never eaten star fruit before but it’s so fun looking!
★★★★★
Emilie says
Hi Pam! Thank you so much! Aren’t they pretty? I’m such a sucker for plates… I have been collecting ‘props’ since the 4th grade (no kidding) and I have more stuff than you’ll ever know. Totally addicted. And if you ever find a starfruit, buy one! I had fun just slicing it. They look really pretty floating on top of drinks too :)
Eileen says
I love the starfruit! This looks beautiful and I love the dishes!
★★★★★
Emilie says
Thank you sweet auntie for all of the wonderful inspiration! xoxo
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
This is such a gorgeous fruit salad, I want to dive right in!
Emilie says
Me too!! I’m loving the fact that spring is finally here and we can eat delicious, ripe fruit again! I’m sure you’re getting all kinds of yummy produce right now in CA ;)
Deb says
Such a lush and fragrant fruit salad! Just perfect for the season of spring and mangos!
Emilie says
Welcome Deb! I love to eat fruit salads when the season starts to come around. It’s such a nice welcome from the same old winter produce. I absolutely adore mangoes, in pretty much everything. The Alphonso variety is quite spectacular… Thanks for stopping by :)
How to Philosophize with Cake says
What an endearing salad, those starfruits are so adorable! <3 Vanilla bean in fruit salad sounds like it would be the bomb.
Emilie says
Hi there! Aren’t they fun? I happened to score a couple in a market that I never go to so (obviously) I had to have them! The kids thought that they were just the coolest… And yes- vanilla bean in fruit salad is amazing! It adds a delicious, unexpected flavor :)
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Now that is one absolutely gorgeous fruit salad!
Emilie says
Thanks Jocelyn!! xoxo