Pomegranate and Red Dragon Fruit Salad
We love colour in our salad recipes and understand how it can tie into the theme of a dinner. This Red Dragon Fruit Salad is delicious and eye catching, naturally dyed red in the juices of the dragon fruit.
Why I Love Pomegranate and Red Dragon Fruit Salad
At The Devil Wears Salad, we love colour in our salad recipes to suit all occasions. I wanted to create a bright red fruit salad and move away from the usual colourful fruit salads we have all the time.
I also wanted to create a red dragon fruit salad recipe for the festive seasons such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year.
Especially Chinese New Year when red is such an auspicious colour. To be able to do it with such exotic fruits made this even more special.
Apart from the aesthetics, both the red dragon fruit and pomegranates are high in antioxidants and make for a super healthy fruit salad.
What is Red Dragon Fruit?
Also known as Pitaya, the dragon fruit is classified as an exotic cactus fruit. It has a pink, leathery outer shell with green scale like leaves. Safe to assume that this is the etymology of its given name.
The dragon fruit has small black seeds throughout its flesh and it is not overly sweet or sour in flavour. In fact, some may think that the dragon fruit can be a bit bland.
It is for this very reason that I actually like the dragon fruit. It makes for a great accompaniment for a fruit salad and doesn’t overpower the other components.
The flesh is soft, much like the texture of a kiwi fruit. The seeds are digestible, slightly crunchy and nutty in flavour.
How to Tell the Difference Between A White and Red Dragon Fruit?
From the outside, it is not so obvious. They do say that the red dragon fruit has a redder outer shell with shorter leaves whilst the white fleshed dragon fruit has a pinker shell with longer leaves.
But unless they are side by side, I doubt I would be able to tell the difference.
I literally just read the sign at the supermarket! In most cases they have it cut in half so I’m sure I’m buying the correct one.
How to Eat A Dragon Fruit?
You eat the dragon fruit as it is. Just cut it in half and scoop it out of the shell. Some people squeeze a bit of lime over it to give it a bit of a kick.
The shell makes for a perfect natural bowl and many people love to place the fruit salad back in it for presentation for the best looking dragon fruit dessert.
How to Deseed A Pomegranate?
I have seen so many different ways of deseeding a pomegranate. But my favourite way is what most people do, which is to knock the seeds out with a wooden spoon.
Cut the pomegranate in half. Stretch the half of the pomegranate gently to loosen the seeds without breaking the fruit. Over a bowl, place the pomegranate face down on the palm of your hands.
Then with a wooden spoon, give the pomegranate a few good whacks and the seeds will fall through your fingers into the bowl naturally. Be sure to discard any of the white bits that may have fallen into the bowl.
This is perhaps the messiest method but it sure is the fastest! I put the bowl in the sink so the mess is more contained.
What Are the Benefits of Pomegranate?
It has become well known that pomegranates are an ancient fruit possessing many wonderful nutritional benefits.
Pomegranates are packed with vitamin C and potassium and is full of antioxidants. It is also one of the few fruits where the juice is as nutritional as the fruit itself.
Pomegranates have been associated with lower risk of heart disease, reducing cholesterol, and assists with weight loss.
For me, I’m simply sold by the fact that this exotic fruit is completely delicious. These health benefits are a bonus!
For some savoury salad recipes with pomegranate you may like: Pomegranate Cauliflower Salad with Chestnuts or Pomegranate, Barley and Freekeh Salad.
How to Make Pomegranate and Red Dragon Fruit Salad
How to Prepare the Salad
This is one of the simplest and quickest fruit salads you’ll make.
Deseed pomegranate as the per the wooden spoon method mentioned above.
Cut the red dragon fruit in half from end to end. Cut off the head and simply peel the outer skin back. This way the flesh will still be intact. Cut the fruit into small cubes.
The red dragon fruit stains everything. It contains pigments that includes betanin which can also be found in beetroot and thus giving it its deep red colours.
Although that is a main factor as to why I chose the red dragon fruit, it can get messy! I tend to peel it over the sink, so it doesn’t get everywhere.
With the plums, cut them around the stone. Then slice each piece into thin slices.
I am not overly fussed what type of plums you choose for this salad. They will taste just as good. Just select the sweetest variety that’s in season.
How to Make Passionfruit Allspice Dressing
Cut the passionfruit into half. Scoop out the passionfruit into a small bowl.
Add the allspice into the passionfruit and give it a good mix. I love allspice with all of its cinnamon, clove and nutmeg tastes. It just gives this fruit salad a tiny boost without being overpowering.
How to Assemble the Salad
Simply add the passionfruit mix with all the fruit in a mixing bowl.
If you would like the salad to take on a deep red colour, leave it for a few hours and let the juices of the red dragon fruit do the work!
I kept some of the salad until the next day in the fridge and it kept well. Always good to have one component of the dinner party prepared a day early to free up the rest of the cooking day.
This is a tangy and tart dragon fruit dessert salad. We are not always looking for a super sweet fruit salad and wanted to create something for those who are not sweet tooths.
It’s also a great accompaniment to a very sweet dessert if you’re looking for something to cut through all that sugar.
This pomegranate red dragon fruit is also a visually appealing recipe and one of the best fruit salads around. It’s also a great way to dress up that festive spread or if you’re simply going for a red themed dinner party!
That’s all!
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Pomegranate and Red Dragon Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 red dragon fruit
- 1 pomegranate
- 4 plums, small
- 3 passionfruit
- ½ tsp allspice
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
Salad
- Cut the red dragon fruit horizontally from the crown of the fruit to the end. Cut off the head and then peel back the outer skin. Cut the fruit into small cubes.
- Cut the pomegranate in half. Stretch the flesh to loosen it up. Over a bowl, place the pomegranate face down on your palm. With a wooden spoon, knock the back of the pomegranate and the seeds will fall through your fingers into the bowl.
- Cut the plums around the stone. Lay them flat and slice into thin slices. Discard the stone.
- Place all these ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Dressing
- Cut the passionfruit into half. Remove the flesh into a small mixing bowl.
- Mix ½ tsp of allspice into the passionfruit.
Assembly
- Pour the passionfruit mix over the top of the fruit salad mix.
- If you would like the fruit salad to take on a deep red colour, leave it for a few hours so that the juices of the red dragon fruit can do its work.
Notes
- Usually I am able to give you substitutes for ingredients, but I have to be honest and say that in this instance, the red dragon fruit and pomegranate are simply not replaceable. I guess that’s what makes it so unique!
- And as for the passionfruit, it highlights the tartness of this salad. If they are not in season, go for the can variety. Not a perfect solution but better than none.
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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