Spicy Fruit Salad

Fresh oranges, pears, bananas, grapes, and diced prunes get tossed with toasted walnuts and dressed in a spiced vanilla yogurt that’s anything but ordinary. The “spicy” here isn’t hot pepper heat. It’s the warm buzz of cinnamon and cardamom stirred into creamy yogurt, giving the fruit a fragrant, almost chai-like quality.

This is a no-cook salad that comes together in about 15 minutes. The key move is tossing the dressing on just before serving. Dress it too early and the bananas turn mushy, the yogurt thins out, and everything slides into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.

Toasted walnuts add crunch that holds up against the soft fruit. If your walnuts aren’t already toasted, a few minutes in a dry skillet until they smell nutty is all they need.

Chef Tips

• Toss banana slices with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice to slow browning if you’re prepping ahead.
• Use thick Greek yogurt instead of regular vanilla yogurt for a dressing that clings to the fruit rather than pooling.
• Toast the walnuts right before assembling for maximum crunch. They soften quickly once dressed.

Variations

• Swap cardamom for a pinch of ground ginger and a tiny hit of cayenne for actual heat.
• Replace prunes with dried apricots or cranberries for a tarter dried fruit option.
• Make it tropical with mango, pineapple, and toasted coconut flakes instead of the temperate fruits.