Nitrate & Nitrite Free Apple-Ginger Fruit Salad Cups
Fresh, vibrant, and completely free of anything processed, this fruit salad is a celebration of real ingredients at their best. Every component — crisp apple cups, juicy pear, plump blueberries, and bright strawberries — is naturally free of preservatives, which makes it an effortless fit for anyone avoiding nitrates and nitrites in their diet. The dressing is where things get really interesting: fresh lime juice, raw honey, grated ginger, and a touch of Ceylon cinnamon come together into something that tastes far more complex than the few minutes it takes to whisk up. Serving the salad inside hollowed apple halves isn't just a pretty presentation trick — it keeps everything contained, portable, and genuinely fun to eat. A short 10-minute rest lets the dressing soak into the fruit so every bite is layered with citrusy, warmly spiced flavor. Finish with a scatter of fresh mint if you have it on hand, and you've got a dish that looks like you put in serious effort without any of the stress.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the apple cups
- 4 medium apples (such as honeycrisp or fuji), for the cups
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime), for brushing cups
For the fruit salad
- 2 medium apples (such as granny smith or pink lady), diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium ripe pear, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp lime zest
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Halve 4 apples crosswise (through the equator, not stem to base) to create 8 cup-shaped halves. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the core and enough flesh to form a shallow bowl, leaving a wall about 1/2 inch thick. Brush the cut surfaces and interior of each cup with 1 tbsp lime juice to prevent browning, then set aside on a serving platter.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp lime juice, honey, grated ginger, ground Ceylon cinnamon, and lime zest until the honey is fully dissolved and the dressing is smooth.
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