With flavors of pineapple, coconut, mango and lime, you'll transport yourself to the Caribbean with this easy tropical fruit salad.
My mom and I joke that we were born in the wrong country. We love tropical everything. Tropical flowers, tropical weather, tropical music, and especially tropical flavors. If you walked into my mother's basement, you'd think you'd been transported to the Bahamas. Turquoise paint on the walls, coral paint in the bathroom, and palm trees everywhere.
When I read that this week's Sunday Supper theme was tropical food, I really couldn't make up my mind. Should I make something with coconut? Something with pineapple? Something with mango? I finally decided to go super simple, and combine all the flavors in one delicious, easy fruit salad.
When I was a kid, my grandmother used to hollow out a watermelon to use as a serving vessel for fruit salad at family picnics. I decided to do the same with a pineapple to serve this fruit salad. One pineapple will not hold all of the fruit salad at once, and to be quite frank, it was HARD WORK to hollow out just one pineapple. If you serve this at a party, you'll need to keep the rest in a bowl nearby, or refill the pineapple as needed. Or you can skip the hollow pineapple altogether, and just peel and core the pineapple, and proceed with Step 4.
One tip: bananas oxidize (turn brown) after being cut. Leave those until last, and toss with a little lime juice before adding to the salad. Feel free to leave out any tropical fruits you don't like, and /or add in other tropical fruits, like oranges, papaya, or starfruit.
Tropical Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut, 2 ¼ oz
For the salad:
- 1 pineapple
- 2 inch mangos, peeled, cored and cut into ½- chunks
- 3 inch kiwis, peeled, and cut into ¼- rounds or wedges
- 2 inch bananas, peeled and cut on the bias into ¼- rounds
- 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved if desired, about a pound
- Zest of 2 limes
Instructions
- Make the syrup: Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture boils, stir in the coconut, remove the saucepan from the heat, and cover. Let stand for 30 minutes to 4 hours (the longer it sits, the stronger the coconut flavor).
- Strain the syrup into a 2-cup measuring glass (or storage container, if not using immediately). Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate if not using immediately. Discard solids from the strainer. Syrup can be stored for up to a day before using.
- Use a pineapple cutter to hollow out the pineapple, stopping about ¾-inch from the bottom. Remove the flesh, discard the core. Cut the flesh into 1-inch wedges.
- Combine the pineapple, mango, kiwi, banana, and grapes in a large bowl. Pour the syrup over the fruit, then sprinkle on the lime zest. Toss to coat. Chill in the refrigerator if not serving immediately.
Syrup recipe from Food Network
Discover more Sunday Supper Tropical Recipes!
Tidbits and Pupus
- Chicken and Lemongrass Sugarcane Skewers by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Coconut crusted Tofu with Spicy Mango Cucumber Topping by Soni's Food
- Larp (Laos chicken salad) by Caroline's Cooking
Breakfast
- Midwest Style Loco Moco by Our Good Life
- Tropical Sunrise Fruit Salad with Coconut Chia Cream by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Companions
- Caribbean Black Beans with Rice by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Condiments and Sauces
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce by Magnolia Days
Coolers
- Cilantro Margarita by An Appealing Plan
- Coconut Mojito by Flour On My Face
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cocktail by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Strawberry Lava Flow by Nosh My Way
Main Event
- Bali Spicy Grilled Fish - Ikan Bakar Jimbaran by Food Lust People Love
- Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Grilled Jerk Shrimp Roll with Tropical Fruit Slaw by Food Done Light
- Grilled Swordfish with Pineapple Salsa by Cooking Chat
- Kalua Pig by Palatable Pastime
- Mango Barbecued Pork Chops by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Mango Lime Fajitas by Curious Cuisiniere
- Pineapple Pork by Basic N Delicious
- Catibias o Cativias (Dominican Yucca Empanadas) by The Petit Gourmet
- Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Tacos by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Whole Roasted Bream with a Ginger-Tamarind Sauce by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Delectable Delights
- Coconut Mounds Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Tropical Sunshine Cake by Lifestyle Food Artistry
- Double Ginger Cookies by Pies and Plots
- Majarete Ice Cream by Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Mini Mango Cheesecakes by The Freshman Cook
- Pineapple Blueberry Ooey Gooey Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Pumpkin-Coconut Biscotti by What Smells So Good?
- Tropical Fruit Salad by The Redhead Baker
- Tropical Layered Poke Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
- Ube Panna Cotta by The Joyful Foodie
- Whole Wheat Mango Coconut Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Liz says
What a fabulous fruit salad! I adore everything about it---all my favorite fruits!
Renee says
The fruit salad is great and putting it in the pineapple just makes it the bomb! How awesome.
Soni says
Love fruit salads and this totally screams tropics to me!!Looks lovely in the pineapple!
Laura Dembowski says
My mom and I always joke that I was born into the wrong family since I want to live in California and be a writer and we have literally no connections.
My mom made fruit salad all the time when I was a kid, but never with a syrup like this. I think that would really bring everything together.
Valerie Cathell Clark says
A perfect "lighter" dessert! The presentation is lovely!
Sue Lau says
Great presentation!
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
Great idea serving this in a pineapple. So pretty!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Fruit salads are always a big hit around here.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
LOVE the pineapple bowl! Great salad, would be a great post-bed snack... but maybe I'm just saying that because I could really go for something refreshing right now... at 10 pm.
sarah says
This is my kind of fruit salad (without the coconut, less poofiness that way lol)
Joy | The Joyful Foodie says
Fresh fruit is one of my favorite things to eat in the tropics. I bet a bite of this tastes like being transported back to a beach somewhere. Love it!
Bobbi from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says
WOW this looks and sounds amazing!! Love it in the pineapple 🙂
Martin Redmond says
Your tropical fruit salad looks fantastic Coleen! I especially dig that your use a pineapple to serve it in!
[email protected] Freshman Cook says
What a great choice for the tropical theme! I know it was hard to hollow out the pineapple, but it looks incredible!
Kristen @ Dinner for Two Blog says
I love the idea of adding coconut to the fruit salad!