Strawberry and Orange Salad with Citrus Syrup & Fresh Mint
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This gorgeous strawberry and orange fruit salad is a refreshing change from the typical pre-cut fruit salad.
This strawberry and orange salad is such a nice change of pace from the standard mix of pre-cut fruit from the supermarket. I usually serve it for brunch — it dresses up the table and pairs well with savory quiche and casserole dishes  — but it’s also wonderful for dessert served with shortcake and whipped cream.
What you’ll need to make Strawberry and Orange Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
With only five ingredients, it’s quick and easy to make. The only tricky part is cutting the oranges. Rather than slicing them into wheels, I like to cut the segments out of the membranes; it takes a few extra minutes but it’s prettier and the oranges are so much easier to eat.
To begin, cut a slice off the top and bottom so that the orange sits flat, then use a knife to work your way around the fruit to remove all the skin and pith. Holding the orange over the serving bowl, use a sharp knife to cut the segments out from in between the membranes.Â
Squeeze all the juice from the oranges into a separate bowl, then stir in the lemon juice and brown sugar. Pour the syrup over the fruit and sprinkle with fresh mint. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes or up to six hours to allow the flavors to marry.
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Strawberry and Orange Salad with Citrus Syrup and Fresh Mint
This gorgeous strawberry and orange fruit salad is a refreshing change from the typical pre-cut fruit salad.
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved (or quartered if very large)
- 3 oranges
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2½ tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint, plus a sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Place the strawberries into a serving bowl.
- Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each orange so they sit flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, work your way around the fruits to remove all the skin and pith. Cupping the orange in one hand and working over the serving bowl, carefully cut the segments out from between the membranes. (Be sure to cut only until you reach the middle of the fruit!) Over a separate small bowl, firmly squeeze the remaining membranes to release all the orange juice.
- Add the lemon juice and brown sugar to the freshly squeezed orange juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the strawberries and orange segments and gently toss to combine. Sprinkle with fresh mint. Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary (the syrup should have a perfect balance of tart and sweet). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to six hours. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and serve in shallow bowls with spoons.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: about 1 cup
- Calories: 136
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Sugar: 27g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 4mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Jen,
How much OJ approximately is part of the dressing.
Thanks
Hi Ellen, I’d estimate that it’s approximately 1/3 cup. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
In addition to oranges, do you think I could include grapefruit if I’m looking for a bigger batch?
Sure, Michelle – that should work. Enjoy!
This salad was delicious. Will definitely
Make this again. Lots of compliments
This was delicious!! And it made for a beautiful and refreshing brunch side dish. I served this with the banana pancakes. I always put out fresh fruit when I entertain so it was was really nice to mix it up with a prepared flavorful dish. It did take me longer to prepare than I thought it would, most of that was spent on cutting the oranges. It was well worth it though and I will definitely make this one again.
Jenn, i am making a brunch for 30. Using many of your recipes! Marbled Banana Bread, Scones, Mandel Bread, Blueberry Crumb Cake, and Strawberry Orange Salad. (I’m also having Yogurt with granola and berries so there will be fruit for that). I don’t think I need to make 6x the recipe, but should I make 4x? People do like a fruit salad, and this is so different and refreshing. What is your opinion?
Also, I’m peeling all oranges day before and storing them in a ziploc overnight. Should stay fresh and save me time the next morning., don’t you think? Thank you!
I’m flattered that you’re using so many of my recipes for your brunch! Yes, because you will have berries as well, I think you can get away with making four times the recipe. And agree, that it should be fine to peel the oranges a day ahead. Hope the brunch is great!
Excellent brunch side option! Delicious and refreshing. I doubled everything because people definitely want seconds!
My family loves this salad. I have made it three times this week and it barely has time to chill because someone eats it up. It’s a wonderful quick healthy side dish to a weeknight meal.
Amazing recipe. Love the vibrant colors.
This is a favorite salad & oh so very good. We love this! We have made this with pecans & it was delicious. The crunch from the nuts was a nice addition.
I made this salad for an outdoor barbeque for a large group and it was a huge hit! Used the small amount of leftover salad the next morning with coffee cake. Awesome!!
Hi Jenn,
Just wanted to say “Thank You ” for being so patient with all of the questions you receive and answering them in layman’s language! I know for a fact that your recipes sure make me look good in the kitchen!!???
My pleasure, Cheryl!
This is so delicious during the summer months when strawberries are in season & your friends have orange trees! I also added blueberries.
Hi Again,
So sorry for another question! I like the idea of using mandarin oranges. How much orange juice should I use for the dressing? I am a bit of an intimidated cook!
No problem, Cheryl! You’d need about 1/3 cup of orange juice here.
Hi Jenn,
This salad looks great!! Would you serve it with hamburgers and coleslaw? Love finding a fruit salad that is not time consuming!!!
Love your site!!
Sure, Cheryl, sounds like a nice meal!
Perfect as written. Easy to make and delivers a a lot of flavor. Creative twist on the “usual” fruit salad which makes it extra special. I served it at a brunch along with your Spinach breakfast casserole. Nice combination.
Recipe lists 3 oranges. Instructions say to segment oranges (all 3?) Then squeeze juice from remaining (unsegmented) oranges. Remaining from what amount? How much of three oranges are to be segmented and what amount is the remaining. This recipe looks delicious can’t wait to taste it.
Hi Chris, sorry for any confusion– you do segment all three oranges and then squeeze the juice from the remaining membranes (what’s left after cutting the segments away.). Hope that clarifies!
Perfect timing ! Thank you so much !
Such a gorgeous salad! What could I substitute that would still work with the citrus and mint? I served it to my friends and everyone raved about it but my husband is allergic to strawberries so I couldn’t make for him!
Glad your friends enjoyed it! Any seasonal fruit would work here. It would have a nice contrast of colors with blueberries, honeydew or cantaloupe.
I made this using cara cara oranges. So festive looking and so yummy. Next time, I will try with blood orange.
When you squeeze the juice from oranges are you squeezing the segments you removed from the orange? Or are you squeezing the remaining parts of the orange? Seems like if you squeeze the segments they will not look good in the salad .
Hi Margaret, You’re not squeezing the segments that you’ve removed, but rather the remaining membranes (they should have a little flesh and juice left in them). Hope you enjoy!
Refreshing companion to the Strata!
As usual I used the wonderful ladies of my Bible study to test this recipe out. And as usual with Jennifer’s recipes I received rave reviews. Again it’s a simple recipe with clean and bright flavors that work very well together. Perfect for fresh summer fruits!!! I love the step-by-step instructions for some techniques I have not tried before. It makes your recipes simple and approachable. Thank you for helping us become chefs in our homes!!!!
I made this for brunch last Sunday, it looked beautiful, I was so proud to serve it. Everyone loved it, the bowl was empty so fast I wished I have made more.
Jen,
I haven’t tried your recipe yet. How would this work with fresh mandarin oranges?
Thanks!
Sure, you could use mandarin oranges here. If so, you could use a little bottled orange juice to prepare the dressing.
Simple, beautiful and a healthy alternative for dessert!
I made it to take to church function i was very disapointed. I followed the recipe to a t and let it set overnight in frig. I will not make it again . No I did not take it to church.
I buy all of this chefs books . Never tried a recipe I quess maybe I should have before now
Jenn clearly says no more than 6 hours ahead.
Loved this salad and so did my strawberry/orange loving grandson! It was packed with sweet flavor and we enjoyed on the weekend for breakfast before heading to the park….
Great dessert, tastes very sweet.
Wow .. Spectacular. Very simple but amazing way to have a light dessert after a heavy dinner. The mint made all the difference, it went great with the strawberries and orange.
This was very good and almost completely eaten at Easter (thank, God, I could at least take home one serving for my breakfast. Wink). Unfortunately, the strawberries are not good yet here, but this recipe saved the tart berries. My brown sugar was hard as a rock (oops, should have check that), so I saved the day with honey.
Wonderful, colorful, healthy and fresh. Another awesome recipe. I recommend this website to all my friends.
Yummy!
This is so very good, although it IS a pain to cut up the orange segments. Worth it, though ;o)
I am considering making this for Easter Brunch. Would it be ok to make it the night before?
Hi Carolyn, It won’t keep well beyond six hours, but it’s fine to prep everything ahead the day before and keep separate, then combine a few hours before brunch.
Wow…this dish is really really good and I don’t like mint or eat oranges. I did have trouble cutting oranges and having any leftover membrane to squeeze juice from so I just used an extra orange and more brown sugar.
Jen I made this tonight for dinner to go along with grilled Alaskan Salmon. It was a beautiful and incredibly good dish. I grow mint so it was easy to snip a few leaves. My teens and guests loved it. So simple to make. I used navel oranges because that is all I could find, so segmenting them was a snap with very little membranes. Thank you for your creativity and easy to follow recipes!
You’re welcome, Cathy. So glad you enjoyed!
Made this as a side on the 4th of July! Very bright and fresh! As mentioned, it’s just a decent amount of knife work, but I think we all like that, or we wouldn’t enjoy cooking!
Simple really. I was afraid the oranges wouldn’t really have much flavor after squeezing ’em for the juice for the syrup, but that was not the case. The oranges I purchased were on the small side, so it took longer to pull together. Go for the big ones to make the prep easier!
This was a delicious salad perfect for a brunch but can enjoy anytime! Squeezing the juice in from the cut fruit worked great.
Added blueberries and cantalope. Yummy !
★★★★★ Made it for a bbq ….what a hit ! Found it held up the next day & I would recommend letting it sit & chill for a couple hours.
very easy. I found that the more it sits, the better it is. At least a couple of hours. I love the pictures that come with your recipes! From Vermont to you!
I work outside at a nursery and need light lunches on hot summer days. Prepared for the first time today and it was perfect!
What type and size of oranges did you use? This looks terrific . Thanks for sharing
Hi Nanette, I used medium navel oranges.
I loved the combination of the strawberries, oranges and brown sugar. It wasn’t overly sweet. Nice change from other fruit salads. I am going to try some blueberries next time.
This recipe looks delish!! I cannot wait to try it. My question is do we squeeze all the juice from the oranges (as mentioned in recipe) or just the remaining memebranes….a little confused. :-0
Hi Kathleen, Just the remaining membranes; you remove the segments before squeezing. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Jenn –
I will be having a large group for a BBQ soon and would like to add this as a side dish – I would at least double it. However, as a Senior I’m trying to limit the prep time. Do you think mandarin oranges might work so I don’t have to prep the oranges? If so, how much fresh o.j. would I need? I can purchase it at nearby farm store. Thanks!
Made this for a Bridesmaid Brunch recently and it was a hit. So light and yummy.The examples on how to properly section an orange were very helpful. Thanks Jen.
This recipe was wonderful. We ate all our salad and then slurped down all the juices! Next time I might try some honey instead of the brown sugar to sweeten. We will definitely be making this one again.
This dish was the star of brunch yesterday. Just perfect. Thanks.
Wow, too bad we don’t have any strawberries this year! Our local field that we’ve been getting our fruit from for the past 8 years is closed and the other fields haven’t had crops this year b/c of the wonky weather. Maybe next year (DH made me garden boxes but we won’t be planting this year d/t the drought).
I cannot wait to try this!!!!!!
Holy smokes!! That looks amazing!!!