One of our favorite cooking classes was when we had our Aloha Luau. I wish we could have all gone on a Caribbean cruise with waving palm trees and sandy beaches. But if you’re yearning for a taste of that right now, why don’t you join me in whipping up a tropical salad? It’s loaded with Hawaiian fruit. Even the dressing has a taste of the islands in it. It’s so refreshing, you’ll almost feel like you’re under those waving palm trees! And if you’re one of those lucky people where the hot sun never seems to go away, pull up a chair and join us. You’ll just love this salad any time of year!
Pineapples are one of my favorite tropical fruits. You might not think so because they’re so sweet, but one cup actually has only 82 calories! And because of their high vitamin C content along with antioxidants they carry on board, pineapples can help reduce your risk for macular degeneration, an eye disease that you can get as your eyes get older. Other perks include building stronger bones, a stronger immune system and just giving you more energy. That’s enough for me. Which is why Tropical Pineapple Salad is one of my favorite fruit salads–whether I’m going to a luau or not.
CHEF’S NOTE: This is a delicious gluten-free recipe, if needed.
TROPICAL PINEAPPLE SALAD
Ingredients
- 4 cups lettuce
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits or freshly cut pineapple
- 15 ounce can of mandarin oranges
- 1/2 cup almond slivers or slices raw
- 1/3 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
- 2-3 green onions sliced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- Tropical Pineapple Dressing
- PINEAPPLE DRESSING
- 1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2 T vegetable broth
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 T honey or maple syrup
- 1 T date sugar or cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt or salt substitute
Instructions
- Chop the lettuce into small pieces I like use Romaine or a red leaf lettuce.
- Thoroughly drain the pineapple and do the same with the mandarin oranges if you're using canned ones. Or you can use fresh mandarins. Just peel and cut up the segments in 2-3 pieces.
- Add the fruit to the lettuce. Then mix in the nuts and the coconut. Finely chop the green onions and bell peppers and add to the salad mix.
- Add the dressing to individual salad bowls rather than the entire salad. This will prevent the salad from getting soggy.
