A Citrus-Only Fruit Salad Is Your Next Must-Try

There's nothing quite like a colorful helping of juicy fruit salad to complement your favorite warm-weather meals. Yet, with the seasons changing, you may be looking for a fun new way to make your traditional fruit salad more attuned to nature. With fall upon us, diving straight into a bowl of chopped watermelon, kiwi, cantaloupe, and strawberries, while delicious, doesn't exactly go hand-in-hand with warm sweaters and mugs of chili. If you're looking for a new way to enjoy fruit salad, why not try recreating your next bowl of chopped produce with citrus fruits? 

While most of us are used to relying on a bit of orange or lemon juice mixed with honey to give our standard bowls of fruit salad a little something extra, there's a creative way to make citrus the main course with just a few simple swaps. 

If you're not sure where to start, think of all the citrus fruits you like to eat atop your favorite salads or as simple snacks, and go from there. The advantage of making a vibrant citrus-based fruit salad not only has to do with reveling in all of those bright flavors. You also have the added benefit of protecting your health as the cold season approaches. Citrus fruits are bursting with vitamin C, one of the main proponents in maintaining immune health. 

So, what are the best thick-skinned cool-weather fruits to use when making a show-stopping citrus-only fruit salad? It's time to completely alter your usual list of ingredients and lean into those delicious and colorful citrus fruits. While citrus fruits are the most plentiful between November and March, you can usually secure a decent variety all throughout the year. When choosing the right assortment for your citrus-only salad, aim for a decent mixture of sweet and tart fruits. 

Mandarins, clementines, and navel oranges are great choices for the sweeter portion of your salad. For tart produce, use a decent amount of grapefruit. And if you're feeling a bit daring, add a few segments of freshly sliced lemon or lime. As new months come and go, more seasonally specific fruits will emerge, such as minneolas, a sweet and tart combination of grapefruit and tangerine, and cara cara oranges, which have a flavor essence similar to cranberries and strawberries.

In preparing your citrus-only salad, you'll want to remove as much of the pith or white stringy threads as possible to prepare a dish that's both delicious and visually appealing. To do so, simply cut off the ends of your citrus fruit and slice off the rind in long strips. Then, slice your citrus fruit into thin discs.

Hand-crafting a colorful platter of sliced grapefruit and oranges might sound delicious as is, but if you're looking for other ways to jazz up this seasonally appropriate salad, you have more than a few options. First, if you want more than just citrus fruit, feel free to consult the month-to-month seasonal produce guide. 

For example, between the months of September and December, you might enjoy adding in some fall-specific produce such as sliced, apples, persimmons, or pears. Other than incorporating other in-season fruits, you can also elevate your citrus salad with a bit of fresh mint or even add in some crunch with a handful of chopped walnuts or toasted sesame seeds.

Besides adding extra ingredients, if you're merely looking to enhance the visual appeal of your freshly made citrus-only salad, there's one simple yet effective way. If you're able to score more than one variety of citrus fruit and find yourself faced with various shades of orange, yellow, and red, why not organize your plate of fruit starting with the darkest fruit slices? As you prepare the rest of your serving dish, plate your citrus slices from darkest to lightest in color, creating a sun-colored rainbow of Mother Nature's candy. There are many ways to enjoy juicy yet colorful produce. For a new twist on a traditional bowl of classic fruit salad, use your favorite citrus fruits to craft an exceptionally tart and sweet platter of deliciousness.