Costa Rican Fruit Salad
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This Costa Rican fruit salad recipe combines tropical fruits, ice cream and other toppings for a delightful gluten-free treat to beat the heat!
About Fruit Salad in Costa Rica
I’ll never forget one memorable day when we were going out to lunch with my mother-in-law. I was so hungry, but she said she wasn’t very hungry so she was going to have a fruit salad for lunch (ensalada de frutas).
I was envisioning a nice plate tropical fruit salad on a plate- but what she got instead could only be described as a monstrosity.
I highly recommend you get a fruit salad during your trip to Costa Rica- you can find them everywhere from ice cream shops to farmer’s markets.
Basically, a fruit salad starts with a mix of tropical fresh fruits and then 1-3 scoops of ice cream go on top. Next comes the whipped cream, chocolate syrup and crushed mixed nuts.
Call it a snack, call it lunch, call it dessert, but be ready to eat your fill!
Related post: Guide To Costa Rican Fruit
Costa Rican Fruit Salad Recipe
Printable recipe below
Ingredients
- cubed watermelon
- sliced mango
- sliced kiwi
- cubed pineapple
- sliced banana
- sliced grapes
- sliced papata
- 1 scoop ice cream
- whipped cream (from the can, like Reddi-Whip) (optional)
- crushed nuts (optional)
- caramel or chocolate sauce (optional)
Instructions
Slice all fruits as directed in the ingredients above. In a larger bowl, combine all fruits. If you want to make this a day ahead you can just add one lime, juiced, on top to keep the fruit from turning brown. Mix everything in a larger bowl (optional).
Next, in a glass bowl, fruit cup or sundae glass, place all fruit at the bottom. You can definitely customize the fruits that you want to have for each person if you cut extra fruit up.
Add a scoop of ice cream to the top of the dessert.
Add additional toppings if desired. This can include whipped cream, strawberry, caramel or chocolate syrup, crushed mixed nuts, maraschino cherries, etc.
Serve and enjoy!
Not wanting ice cream? Try one of these Costa Rican smoothies or try making your own Costa Rican ice cream.
Related post: Costa Rican Dessert Recipes
Substitutions
You can literally substitute any fruit or type of ice cream you want into this fruit salad. We especially like to use Star Fruit or dragon fruit when we are in Costa Rica! So good!
Variations
You will see fruit salads in waffle cone boats, with different toppings, any combination is valid. Just remember that a fruit salad is a dessert- a plato de frutas (fruit plate) is what we call a fruit salad in English.
Related post: Costa Rican Torta Chilena
Serving Suggestions
Serve on a hot day, and eat with good company!
Join me over at my favorite place- Instagram.
Costa Rican Roasted Pork Leg
This roasted pork leg, or ham hock, combines a traditional Costa Rican sauce with tropical fruits for a delicious Christmas or New Year's dish typically served at midnight.
Ingredients
- Pork leg 5-10 lbs (called a ham hock in the US)
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tsp crushed oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 clove of cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 2 large yellow onions, cut into large pieces
- 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 leek
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Two days before cooking, clean off excess fat from the pork leg and stab it a few times. Add salt and pepper to taste and allow to sit overnight.
- One day before cooking, in a large saucepan add the chicken broth, onion, garlic, carrot, leek and celery, cooking on high until the chicken broth has been reduced by half.
- Add cumin, oregano, pineapple, cloves, cinnamon and orange juice. Boil for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cloves and blend the entire mixture on high until very well incorporated. Rub the meat with the mixture, and excess can go into the marinating pan.
- In a large plastic bag or a roasting pan, put the marinated pork leg into the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, rotating every 4 hours if possible.
- On the morning you will serve the pork leg, remove it from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for about an hour.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the pork leg into a roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 8 hours.
- Remove the aluminum foil and roast for 45 additional minutes until golden brown.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 2gSugar: 47gProtein: 6g
Please double-check this information with your favorite nutrition calculator.
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Christa Jimenez
Welcome! I’m Christa, a former high school teacher married to a handsome Costa Rican and mother of two bilingual daughters. I love all things Spanish and bi-cultural, (especially travel and food!) and you’ll find my observations on life here. Thanks for stopping by
