How To Make a Hearty Breakfast Fruit Salad

A broiled grapefruit, a luscious smoothie bowl, or even a hearty smoothie is a charming way to start any day. But some weekday mornings require more than a fruit-filled start, no matter how yummy, to get your engines running and keep them running. You need something with protein and fiber, chock-full of nutrients; something fast that is satisfying, exciting, and inviting to spark your engine.

Here’s a new answer to this dilemma: a hearty whole grain and fresh fruit salad, with fresh herbs that add dimension, and quick gloss of a sweet-tart dressing. It’s all made ahead and just needs a last-minute toss together. This fruity tabouli is a formula, a recipe blueprint, that is so versatile you’ll be having a different breakfast every day for weeks with ease.

Right now, on your grocery store shelf, in a health food store, and online, are boxes and bags and bins of whole kernels, seeds, and grain berries. Preparing grains is not a complex task. It takes less than an hour on the stove and less than five minutes of prep and cleanup combined. They are all nutty, and many have distinct and even assertive flavors. These aren’t just good for you — they also get your tastebuds going.

The best grains for this salad are those that have a strong and durable outer layer. Once made and refrigerated, the individual grains stay separate and retain their chewiness far better.

• Barley, pearl or hulled
• Buckwheat groats
• Farro
• Freekeh

• Kamut

• Wheat berries, Einkorn wheat berries, or rye berries
• Spelt

Although amaranth, brown rice, bulgur wheat, millet, quinoa, and teff are viable, they aren’t the best choice since they quickly turn into a porridge.

Most of these grains are cooked in similar ways, but I like to toast them to amp up the nuttiness. By the way, wild rice, a grass, is also an option.

Cooked grains should be kept in containers, covered and refrigerated, but they will collect moisture and can get soggy or even stick after storage. These grains will keep for a few days, but always use your nose to check them around day five or beyond. The same things that make them so healthy also allow far quicker fermentation.

New to whole grains? Check out this guide to cooking and baking with them for a handy introduction.

Juicy, ripe fresh fruit will add sweetness and another layer of flavor to your salad. This is about making your morning pleasurable, after all, not a chore. Fruit salads are the ticket. Here are a few tips for a tasty fruit salad that will last.

• Keep small whole fruit, like berries or grapes, whole.
• Cut fruit into big pieces to help retain juices.
• Separate any fruit that will overpower the flavors of other fruits, stain other fruit (pomegranates), or have enzymes that can break down other fruit (pineapple and papaya) and store them in their own containers until you are ready to assemble the salad.
• You can have fun with exotic fruits, like dragon fruit, persimmons, cherimoya, or even jackfruit, or stick to locally grown, seasonal fruits.

• Pineapple
• Berries
• Oranges, tangerines, mandarins, clementines, and other sweet citrus
• Grapefruit, ugly fruit, or pomelo
• Kiwi or baby kiwi
• Cantaloupe, Galia, Persian, Casaba, or any muskmelon
• Other melons such as honeydew, Crenshaw, Santa Claus, or watermelon
• Mango
• Papaya
• Pomegranate seeds
• Seedless grapes
• Starfruit (carambola)

Feel free to add dried fruits. They are rich in vitamins, sweet as can be, and are incredibly durable. I keep minced dried figs, cranberries, tart cherries, and currants in a covered container in the pantry and throw a few in the bowl just before tossing all the ingredients together, for additional chewiness and a burst of intense sweetness.

Although this fruit salad is geared to being macerated in a syrup, you can pour a few teaspoons or more of honey over the cut fruit and stir to coat before refrigerating. It will make the fruit salad far sweeter (which is good if the fruits aren’t really ripe), but unlike any other sweetener, honey will act as a bit of a preservative.

If you aren’t sure about herbs in a sweet dish, like fruit, there are some that have been used in desserts for some time, like tarragon with its licorice undertones, and mint with its magical power to transform ice cream and boozy fruity drinks. But you can cast a wide net here — try basil (a relative of mint), flat-leaf parsley, or cilantro. You can also use ginger, but only use a little since it’s very strong. As crazy as this sounds, you can also head a little savory or bitter here and use some finely minced raw kale, or even a little arugula. It adds a flavor contrast that would be fun for an adventuresome eater.

This is all about gussying up the salad, but with so many flavors and textures, simple is best.

1 part oil + 1/2 to 2/3 part sweetener (to taste) + 1/2 part citrus juice or vinegar.

• Extra-virgin olive oil: The fruitier and less vegetal or peppery tasting, the better. A Spanish olive oil is a great option.
• One part olive oil plus one part any toasted nut oil. Try hazelnut or almond for starts.

• Pure maple syrup (grade B preferred)
• Honey, even strongly flavored honey, like buckwheat or chestnut.
• Agave nectar
• Pure cane syrup
• Brown rice syrup
• Mango, peach, pear, or any fruit nectar
• Date syrup

• Lemon, lime, grapefruit or any citrus juice
• Fruit-flavored vinegars, such as fig vinegar
• White balsamic vinegar

Store all the components separately in the fridge until it comes time to make one of these salads. The recipe below is for five servings — great if you’re serving this at a brunch. If you want to make this on a day-by-day basis over the course of a week, here’s how to do it: Combine about 2/3 cup cooked whole grains, 1/3 cup pre-cut fresh fruit, 1 to 3 tablespoons pre-chopped herbs, and 1 to 2 tablespoons pre-made dressing for each serving. All that’s left is to enjoy!