Dragon Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing

I offered to bring a fruit and greens salad to a Mennonite Girls Can Cook luncheon last month. My idea was to start with a bed of mixed spring greens and add add a variety of fruit. I wanted it to be fresh with lots of citrus flavour. The variety of oranges and the citrus dressing gave me just the taste I was wanting.

 While picking up the ingredients for my salad at the produce market this beautiful, but odd magenta coloured fruit caught my eye. The skin was thick and felt leathery. I asked someone about it and I found out that Dragon Fruit is the fruit of a cactus plant. The clerk cut one open for me to see and to taste. I added one to my shopping basket.

Inside the Dragon Fruit is a white flesh with little seeds. The texture of the flesh is between a kiwi and watermelon. When cut it holds it's shape well. Dragon fruit is slightly sweet, but does not have much flavour.

To remove skin just slide your thumb under one corner and peel away from flesh. It comes away easily. Slice or cut into small cubes. My cubes resembled dice, and added a unique and pretty addition to the salad.


This citrus dressing is light, tangy and sweet.

Salad Ingredients: (serves 8)

• 4 cups mixed spring greens
• 1/2 English cucumber, quartered and diced fine
• 1 Blood orange, peeled and cut into sections
• 2 Kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 Cara Cara orange, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 large Navel orange. peeled and cut into sections
• 1 cup grapes, sliced
• 8 strawberries, quartered
• 1/2 cup blueberries

1. Wash all vegetables and fruit. Allow to dry.
2. Lay mixed greens on a platter. 
3. Top with all remaining ingredients, arranging as desired. 

Citrus Dressing:

• 3/4 cup grape seed oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 3 tablespoons, freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 tablespoons, freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Place all ingredients into a jar or shaker and shake well.
2. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or over night. 
3. Serve on the side or drizzle over salad just before serving.

Dressing keeps for up to one week in the refrigerator. 

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