Featured Recipe
Tropical Yellow Fruit Salad
By Kate
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Bright tropical fruit cubes drenched in a coconut-lime-lemongrass syrup. Pineapple swapped with papaya for a softer texture. Kiwi replaced with golden dragon fruit for a mild crunch and visual pop. Bananas cut thicker to hold shape. Syrup sweetness reduced, lemongrass finely minced to avoid stringy bits. Lime zest swapped for grapefruit zest for subtle bitterness. Chilling syrup vital to avoid wilting fruit. Serves 8. Prepping fruit in advance? Keep cold and dry to maintain texture. Clean knife after each fruit to avoid cross-flavor contamination, especially with banana starches.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
3 min
Total:
28 min
Serves:
8 servings
salad
fruit
tropical
summer
healthy
Introduction
Yellow fruits really bring life to any plate. Papaya’s softness cuts pineapple’s usual sharp edges. When ripe just right they pillow on the tongue, a texture contrast more forgiving but just as bright. Dragon fruit looks exotic but behaves as a lightly crunchy base— subtle sweetness, like a whisper among the loud mango chunks. Bananas thicker sliced, not too thin, so they hold shape and don’t vanish. Syrup is the glue; coconut milk lipids coat fruit, lemongrass oils punch through mild coconut creaminess, grapefruit zest adds that last bite of bitterness, so it doesn’t become cloying. Chill syrup till cold; warm syrup will turn fruit to mush fast. Use sharp knives, practice gentle toss. Watch textures carefully over time. Fruit salad isn’t just cut fruit plus dressing. Timing and textural balance is everything.
Ingredients
Coconut Lemongrass Syrup
- 135 ml (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) full-fat coconut milk
- 20 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) organic cane sugar
- 20 ml (1 1/3 tbsp) finely minced fresh lemongrass stalk
- 1 small papaya, peeled and diced large cubes
- 1 large mango, peeled and cut into chunky cubes
- 1 medium golden dragon fruit, peeled and diced
- 2 thickly sliced ripe bananas
- Zest grated from 1 grapefruit
Fruit Salad
About the ingredients
Coconut milk here must be full fat to add body and balance sweetness. Sugar is cut down slightly to avoid syrup overpowering delicate fruit. Lemongrass is key for aroma but if the fibers are too coarse your syrup ends up stringy and unpleasant on the tongue; mince it fine and tease out oils with careful simmer. Papaya replaces pineapple for a softer texture and milder acidity—less sharpness but still tropical bright. Golden dragon fruit instead of kiwi adds crunch without tartness, less color bleeding. Bananas thicker cut because thin slices get too soft fast—this also keeps salad fresh longer. Use fresh grapefruit zest instead of lime zest to add a bittersweet note, prevents the salad from being too sugary. If you can’t find dragon fruit, substitute with yellow kiwi or even small cubes of peach. Keep fruits dry before mixing, excess moisture means quick soggy salad. If your fruit is too ripe, hide it in the salad rather than serve standalone—adds sweetness without becoming mushy. Freshness matters; fragrant fruits don’t last all day once cut. Upgrade knife skills to clean precise cuts. Changes in timing reflect slower simmer and longer chill for syrup; pulp and sugar marry better with slow heat.
Method
Coconut Lemongrass Syrup
- Combine coconut milk, sugar, and lemongrass in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Bubbling small and aromatic. Carefully watch: once it starts to simmer, reduce to low. Let it bubble gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lemongrass releases oils - stringy bits cling to sides; skim them if you want clearer syrup. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cool uncovered until room temp then cover and refrigerate roughly 25 mins until fully chilled. You want syrup cold so fruit doesn’t break down on contact.
- Mix papaya, mango, dragon fruit cubes gently in a large bowl. Add banana slices last to minimize mush. Sprinkle grapefruit zest over fruit. Toss carefully to combine. Do not smash fruit - keep shape. Refrigerate fruit bowl if prepping ahead. Drain any excess juice if fruits get watery.
- Pour chilled syrup evenly over fruit right before plating. Use a slotted spoon to avoid syrup overload. Serve fresh. If syrup soaks too long fruit loses crunch and color dulls. Best served within an hour of syrup addition.
- Papaya adds softness; swap pineapple for mellow sweetness. Dragon fruit replaces kiwi’s tartness with subtle sweetness and crunch. Cutting bananas thicker keeps them from turning to mush quickly - use them ripe but firm. Lemongrass needs fine slicing to avoid stringy texture in syrup. Cooling syrup before pouring prevents premature fruit breakdown. If in a hurry, cool syrup in ice bath, stirring gently. If fresh lemongrass unavailable, substitute a splash of fresh lime juice with a dash of grated ginger for aromatic lift.
- Use sharp knife, wipe clean between cutting different fruits to avoid color bleed or starch transfer. Avoid mixing fruit too aggressively or salad will become mushy. Keep refrigerated until serving to preserve freshness and aroma. Watch fruits' own juices; too watery means drain to stop dilution of syrup.
Fruit Salad
To Serve
Notes and Tips
Technique Tips
Bring coconut milk, sugar, lemongrass gently to boil over medium heat. Head bubbles slowly, aromas will hit you before liquid shows signs. Once bubbling, reduce; let it simmer gently to extract flavors without evaporating too much liquid. Stir now and then; avoid burning sugar. Strain through fine mesh; don’t press lemongrass hard or you’ll get bitter notes. Chill uncovered first to speed cooling and prevent condensation. Refrigerate till syrup is fully chilled — no rush. Fruit prep matters: peel cleanly, cut into distinct cubes or rounds. Bananas last to reduce bruising and discoloration. Mix gently to preserve shape, toss with zest after mixing fruit to distribute aroma evenly but avoid overhandling. Pour syrup at last minute; any sooner and vibrant fruit textures deteriorate. Use slotted spoon to control syrup amount on plates. If syrup thickens in fridge, bring to room temp before serving and whisk lightly to regain pourable consistency. Over boiling syrup reduces volume down, so simmer low; you want flavor, not syrup glaze. For quicker prep: chill fruit while syrup simmers, then assemble just before serving. Avoid overmixing; you want chewed, not mashed. Use citrus zest — grapefruit better than lime here — to cut richness. If syrup too sweet, add a splash of fresh lime juice after chilling for balancing brightness.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 For slicing fruit, use sharp knife. Clean after each cut. Prevents cross-flavors. Especially bananas; they get starchy. Keep chunks distinct.
- 💡 If fruits get watery, drain excess juice. Keeps syrup from diluting. Watery salad loses flavors. Freshness matters. Quick fix.
- 💡 When making syrup, watch the heat closely. Bubbling means it's time to reduce. Simmer under low heat for flavors to meld. Avoid burning sugar.
- 💡 Chill syrup fast—ice bath works. It helps blend flavors before pouring. Warm syrup breaks down fruit quickly. Keep things fresh until serving.
- 💡 Adjust sweetness level. Taste syrup before pouring. Too sweet? Balance with lime juice; adds brightness. Don’t overpower the fruit.
