Citrus and Pomegranate Fruit Salad
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Reset and refresh with this bright, juicy fruit salad made with pomegranate arils, grapefruits, and oranges.
Looking to reset after the holidays? This light and refreshing fruit salad with oranges, grapefruits, and pomegranate seeds is just the thing. The fruits soak in their own juices, creating a beautiful magenta syrup you’ll want to sip straight from the bowl. It’s super easy to throw together with just three ingredients and works perfectly for a quick breakfast, a company brunch, or even a light and healthy dessert.
Pomegranates are filled with ruby-red seeds called arils, which burst with tart-sweet juice when you bite into them. They’re rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making them a great winter treat. When shopping for pomegranates, choose ones that feel heavy for their size and have smooth, blemish-free skin. And if cutting one up isn’t your thing, pre-packaged arils are a great option—you’ll need about 1¾ cups.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Citrus and Pomegranate Fruit Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin with the pomegranate. Before you cut into it, put on an old shirt you don’t care about because the juice squirts and stains and an apron alone won’t cut it. Starting at the crown, cut a cross into the fruit about halfway down.
Holding the pomegranate facing down over the bowl, break it apart into quarters. (Do this over a stain-proof surface.)
Squeeze each quarter firmly over the bowl to release the seeds and juices. Bend each quarter back to release more seeds. Don’t worry about getting all the seeds out. What you really want is the juice, so squeeze the fruit again to release the juice from any remaining seeds.
You’ll be left with this. In the bowl, you’ll have plenty of juice and seeds, along with some of the white membrane. Pick out any bits of the white membrane so all that remains are seeds and juice.
For the oranges and grapefruits, cut a slice off the top and bottom of each fruit 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 fruit in one hand and working over the bowl, carefully cut the segments out from between the membranes. (Be sure to cut only until you reach the middle of the fruit!)
Firmly squeeze the remaining membranes over the bowl to release all the juices.
Taste the fruit salad and add up to 1 tablespoon of sugar, only if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve the fruit salad in bowls, so the juice can be spooned up with the fruit.
You May Also Like
Winter Citrus & Pomegranate Fruit Salad
Reset and refresh with this bright, juicy fruit salad made with pomegranate arils, grapefruits, and oranges.
Ingredients
- 1 large pomegranate (or 1¾ cups ready-to-eat pomegranate arils, with juices)
- 2 large navel oranges
- 2 pink grapefruits
- 1 tablespoon sugar, if needed
Instructions
- Place the pomegranate on a surface that won’t stain. Starting at the crown, cut a cross into the fruit about halfway down. Put a large bowl in the sink and, holding the pomegranate crown side down over the bowl, break it apart into quarters. Squeeze each quarter firmly over the bowl to release the seeds and juice, then bend each quarter back to release more seeds. (Don’t worry about getting all the seeds out. What you really want is the juice, so squeeze the pomegranate again to release the juice from any remaining seeds still attached to the fruit.) Pick out any bits of the white membrane so all that remains in the bowl are seeds and juice.
- For the oranges and grapefruits, cut a slice off the top and bottom of each fruit 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 fruit in one hand and working over the bowl, carefully cut the segments out from between the membranes. (Be sure to cut only until you reach the middle of the fruit!) Firmly squeeze the remaining membranes over the bowl to release all the juices. Taste the fruit salad and add up to 1 tablespoon of sugar, only if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve the fruit salad in bowls so the juice can be spooned up with the fruit.
- Note: Pomegranate juice will stain wooden cutting boards and some countertops. To be safe, you can cut pomegranates on disposable plastic shopping bags.
- Note: Nutritional information does not include the tablespoon of sugar.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 168
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Sugar: 28 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 4 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Had everything on hand so I made this. Delicious! Such a treat!
This recipe sounds great but I have a silly question about the instructions for sectioning the fruit. When you say to only cut until you reach the middle of the fruit…. does that mean to use the top half of the orange that is not in the cup of your hand or does it mean to use only half of each segment?
Hi Carol, I’m not sure I fully understand your question, but it may be answered by looking at the picture that shows up under the step-by-step heading. You can see there that I’m cutting from the outer edge of the orange to the center, but not beyond tat. I hope the image helps!
Super yummy and refreshing for these cold winter months. I added half the pomegranate as it seemed plenty with the rest of the fruit. Personal preference.
My family and I enjoyed this recipe! What a delicious winter salad or dessert. We had if for dessert. After all the holidy indulgences, this is a perfect recipe to get back to good, healthy eating. Thank you!
Jenn,
I’m making this salad this week, and I noticed you have quite a few of junk comments having nothing to do with the website on here (anti-aging creams, business ads, etc.) – they’re all grouped together about halfway down. Just thought you’d like to know and maybe you can remove them. First time I’ve ever seen anything like them on your site. I’m giving this comment 5 stars because you deserve it for these consistently fab recipes!!! Absolutely love that your commenters have almost always made the dish before commenting – thanks to all you home cooks out there; your comments have often been helpful!!
Hi Jules, thanks for pointing that out to me — I just removed them! 🙂
I could wear my prettiest Sunday dress and avoid getting it stained while peeling a pomegranate. Here’s a tip to avoid a red mess everywhere. First, fill a large bowl with water. Then, quarter the pomegranate, and place one of the quarters under the water. Pull apart the skin, and gently nudge the seeds out. All those beautiful juicy kernels will fall out without creating a mess….and pieces of the membrane and bad seeds will float to the top, so pour those off with some of the water into the sink. I hope that’s helpful.
By the way, I love her recipes and two cookbooks. Everything I’ve made has been effortless because of Jenn’s explanation of recipes and tips. All of her meals have been delicious, pleasing family and friends from everyday dinners to fancy party gatherings. Thank you Jenn for sharing your fabulous meals with my family. 💜
Are the pomegranate seeds supposed to be crunchy?
Thanks!
The flesh of pomegranate arils is pretty soft but there’s a tiny crunchy seed in the middle.
This is so delicious I’ve added it to my prep for lunches. Several times I didn’t have grapefruit and just made it with oranges and poms and it was still good. I thought I’d mention this for people that can’t have grapefruit.
This salad is so delicious and beautiful! I sometimes serve it as a dessert to my more weight conscious guests. It’s the perfect answer to December’s holiday gormandizing; citrus and pomegranates are in season and it has no added sugar! You do need a good sharp knife to prepare the grapefruit. Later in the season when pomegranates are no longer available, Jenn suggested substituting raspberries, and that was yummy too.
I have made this delicious salad several times since I discovered it in November. I always wondered how to section grapefruit and the directions made it so clear and easy. I am now sectioning grapefruit alot. I’ve share this recipe with friends and family too and they love it.
Pomegranates and many varieties of oranges are in season right now in CA. I can’t wait to make this beautiful healthy salad for my family! It looks delicious and refreshing, after all the heavy holiday food this sounds perfect!