Description
This Tropical Fruit Salad boasts sliced bananas, strawberries, pineapple, chopped walnuts, and toasted coconut flakes covered in a dreamy dressing is sure to put a smile on your face and become your next family favorite. This week’s Whip It Up Wednesday recipe is ideal for summer picnics or just plain fun. Whole Food Plant Based recipe, no oil, no refined sugar, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Ingredients
Fruit Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or quick soak
- ½ cup unsweetened plain plant milk
- 6 Medjool dates, softened, pitted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Fruit Salad Ingredients:
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (fancy flakes), toasted (optional)
- 20 oz. strawberries (sliced)
- 2 lbs. fresh pineapples, chunked into bitesize pieces
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted (optional)
Additional Toppings:
- Additional pieces of fresh fruit, chopped walnuts, and toasted coconut
Instructions
Fruit Salad Dressing Instructions
- Soaking the cashews: Place 1/2 cup of raw cashews in a bowl, cover with water, and soak overnight. Quick Soak Method: Place ½ cup of raw cashews in a bowl, cover with boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain water when ready to use.
- If using Medjool dates: They are typically already soft and do not need softened further. If not using Medjool dates, then place the dates in a small bowl, cover the dates with boiling water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fish out the dates from the water, pinch it to ensure that there is no pit before using.
- Place all the Fruit Salad Dressing Ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth and the consistency is creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Fruit Salad Instructions
- Toast the coconut flakes in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet in a 350 F preheated oven. This only takes minutes so watch them carefully. Just toast them until they are golden. Remove and allow to cool completely. (OR skip this step if you have already purchased toasted coconut flakes.)
- Chop the walnuts, set aside.
- Prepare all the fruit, place in a large bowl. Do not prepare the bananas until right before serving as they tend to turn brown.
Fruit Salad Assembly:
- Place all the prepared fruit in a bowl. Reserve some fruit, coconut and chopped walnuts for the topping.
- When ready to serve, place the Fruit Salad Dressing in a bowl and add a Tablespoon of unsweetened plain plant milk to thin out the dressing. This may require 1 or 2 Tablespoons as refrigeration tends to cause cashew-based dressings to thicken.
- Then gently toss the fruit salad dressing with the prepared fruit until well coated. Add the fresh fruit on top. (See notes*)
Notes
*Cashew Cream/Date Fruit Salad Dressing: Please note that using dates is a delicious and healthy way to sweeten a fruit salad; however, it does turn the fruit dressing a light shade of “date” brown.
*Storage: Refrigerate, use within 2 days.
*Serving: 8 to 10, picnic sized bowl