Smart Tip: For Better Fruit Salad, Just Add Nuts

Anjali Prasertong
Anjali Prasertong
Anjali Prasertong is a writer and public health dietitian focused on food systems, racial equity, and nutrition. Originally from Los Angeles, she has taught English in rural Japan, worked as a private chef in Malibu, and led an innovative city-funded corner store program in New…read more
published Jun 18, 2012
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

It’s easy to make a bad fruit salad. Throw together underripe melon chunks, bruised stone fruit and banana slices turning to mush, and you’ll have the sort of sad mixture T. Susan Chang used to serve at brunch parties. But, as she reveals on NPR’s Kitchen Window, a little care goes a long way when making a memorable fruit salad — and so does a handful of nuts.

Of course, starting with flavorful, fully-ripened fruit and handling it carefully is the foundation for any good fruit salad, but to make the mixture more than just a “spectrum of sweetness,” Chang turned to traditional fruit and nut combinations in other cultures. From pistachios sprinkled over sliced citrus to flakes of toasted coconut mixed with berries, nuts and other crispy or crunchy additions add textural contrast and a savory flavor that take fruit salad to the next level.

She includes some intriguing recipes that combine fruit and nuts, like Thai Melon Salad, which is finished with a sprinkling of dry-roasted, salted peanuts.

Read more & get the recipes: Just A Pinch Of Thought Brightens Fruit Salad at NPR

Do you ever add nuts to your fruit salads?

Related: Help Me Make an Elegant Fruit Salad for Easter Dinner

(Image: T. Susan Chang/NPR)