Ree’s Fruit Salad with Orange-Vanilla Syrup

I made this the first time when we had friends over for brunch a couple of years ago and it’s been a go-to fruit salad for me ever since! The Pioneer Woman is one of those Food Network chefs that I love to watch. I could have her playing in the background all day on my TV. Her kitchen is a dream and her voice is so inviting.  She does make many ‘meat and potato’ dishes, which aren’t always for me, but after all, she’s cooking for cowboys!  Even still, I trust her cooking.  I think there was one in all the many that I have tried that didn’t cook according to her recipe. 

I have made this salad both with and without the mint.  It’s good either way.  Mint can be a tricky herb.  Too much could ruin this salad.  I think my preference is to omit the mint, but should you want to add some, use it more as a garnish than an ingredient in this salad. 

The simple syrup for this recipe really transforms the fruit.  I also like that it is largely a berry fruit salad, in addition to the grapes.  I’ve not experimented with other fruit, but I imagine any fruit would work well with this syrup.  My daughter is not a fan of orange, but she still enjoys this salad.  The syrup also adds a nice sheen to the fruit.  It’s really yummy and such a nice addition to your brunch menu. 

Enjoy!

Ree's Fruit Salad with Orange-Vanilla Simple Syrup

Sarah Nolan

A delicious addition to your brunch menu. A great make-ahead option!

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Ingredients

  

Orange-Vanilla Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*

Fruit

• 2 pints strawberries hulled and halved**
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 cups green grapes halved
• 2 cups red grapes halved

Instructions

 

• Place the sugar, 1 cup water, orange zest, juice and vanilla bean paste in a small pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool completely. Pour over fruit and stir often to toss the fruit in the simple syrup.

Notes

*1 teaspoon of vanilla bean extract can be substituted. If you have a vanilla bean pod, that would work the best!
**Original recipe calls for 4 pints of strawberries. I find 2 is plenty. If you have a really large party to serve, go for 4.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman