Summer brings bright, refreshing salads that feel light yet satisfying. These meals work beautifully as a first course for lunch or as a complete dinner. To keep things exciting, this recipe blends tropical fruits with crisp vegetables on one plate, creating a vibrant and flavorful salad with pasta. It’s a sunny twist on a classic idea that invites creativity and color.
Ingredients for tropical salad
For a distinctive tropical salad, combine the following ingredients:
- 2 chicory leaves
- 4 hearts of palm
- 100 grams of boiled corn
- 100 grams of canned mushrooms
- 100 grams of hazelnuts
- 100 grams of York ham
- 3 oranges
- 2 apples
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 lemon
- 75 grams of pasta
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Parsley, pepper and salt
Step by step tropical salad recipe
The recipe includes pasta, so the first step is to cook it. Colored spirals add extra visual appeal. Place the spirals in boiling water and cook for about eight minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water, then refrigerate until cold.
Nizarda or Niçoise salad, the perfect French dish that is delicious
Meanwhile, wash and peel the fruits and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Rinse the endive and chop it into larger chunks. Toss everything into a large bowl and add the very cold pasta. Mix thoroughly to blend flavors and textures.
Finally, prepare a bright, tangy dressing. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise with lemon juice and the juice of half an orange, then season with salt and pepper. Whisk until the dressing is light and smooth. Drizzle over the salad and finish with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.
This summer’s most complete meal is red bean salad.
Other tropical salad varieties
To diversify the tropical salad, try substituting fruits. Pineapple pairs beautifully with the mix. Swap the oranges for two slices of fresh pineapple and enjoy the burst of tropical aroma.
You can also experiment with different toppings. Cooked ham and nuts can be swapped for crab sticks, which create a fresh, seaside bite. Pine nuts can stand in for other nuts for a distinct flavor. For dressing variety, a very light pink dressing or a simple mix of olive oil and lemon juice yields excellent results.