Fruit Salad with Tea Simple Syrup

How to make the best fruit salad, livened up with a quick and easy tea simple syrup. Use your favourite tea and allow it to infuse the sweet syrup - perfect for drizzling over the fruit and adding a punch of flavour. It's quick easy, vegan, gluten free and delicious!

I love a vibrant and tasty fresh fruit salad. When my husband and I can remember (aka be bothered!), we like to make up a big fruit salad on the weekend to keep in the fridge, alongside a container of raw veggies.

It makes for easy and healthy midweek snacks. After dropping the kids off at school, I walk past my local greengrocer to check out their seasonal fruits and berries, ready to be prepped and nibbled.

But I also like to elevate a fruit salad to something special. It's a welcome vegan and gluten free dessert, particularly if you make it extra special. That's where this tea-infused simple syrup comes in handy.

It's really easy to make, but adds extra sweetness and a lovely flavour. You can use your favourite type of tea, from English breakfast to chamomile. I went for White Peony, a tasty white tea.

How to make fruit salad

Fruit salad may seem self explanatory - cut up some fresh fruit, chuck it into a bowl and grab a fork. However, if you give it a little thought (a little, coz hey, it's still super easy!) then it can be extra special.

Here are my top tips for the ultimate fruit salad:

1. Choose perfectly ripe fruit
2. Avoid very soft fruits that might get mushy, such as banana or overly ripe kiwi
3. Avoid fruit that will brown easily , such as apples and pears (or toss them in a little lemon juice and add right before serving)
4. Watermelon will add too much moisture over time, so add it on the day of eating
5. Go for flavourful in-season fruit
6. Cut fruit into similarly bite-sized pieces
7. Add sprigs of mint for a fresh flavour and pretty green colour
8. Add firmer fruit to the bottom of the bowl and softer fruit on top
9. Gently toss fruit in a good squeeze of lemon to bring out the flavour and stop browning
10. Use a variety of fruits to turn it into a colourful rainbow

Ways to make a fruit salad special

1. 1. 1. Add chunks of dark chocolate - it tastes amazing eaten with the berries
      2. Drizzle the cold fruit salad with melted chocolate - it hardens, but then melts in your mouth with the fruit.
      3. Add edible flowers to make it beautiful
      4. Add herbs such as rosemary, mint and basil
      5. Twists of lemon, lime or orange zest add flavour and colour
      6. Separate types of fruit into multiple fruit salads: berry salad with mint and chocolate; melon salad with ginger syrup

What do you put in a fruit salad to keep it fresh?

• • Lemon juice
  • Orange juice
  • Avoid apples, pears, bananas

When the cut flesh is exposed to air, some fruits, like apple or banana can turn an unappetizing brown colour. You can stop the fruit salad going brown by tossing the fruit in a bit of fresh lemon or orange. Alternatively, I make the fruit salad with berries, melon etc... and add fruits that are prone to browning, like apples, bananas and pears at the last minute before serving, or just leave them out.

How long can you keep fresh fruit salad in the fridge?

If the fruit is fresh, the fruit salad will last 3-4 days if stored in the fridge in an airtight container. But keep an eye on it and pull out any fruits that are beginning to go overripe. Be sure to follow my top tips above (soft fruits on top, avoid mushy fruits like bananas) to make it last longest.

baking with tea

I love baking with tea. The rich aromas and flavours are perfect to add depth to all manner of desserts.

Check out my lemon tart with chamomile crust, rooibos millionaire shortbread, chamomile cake with salted honey buttercream, or beet chocolate truffles with smoky lapsang souchong tea.

You'll love it washed down with a glass of homemade Berry Iced Tea. 

How to make Tea Simple Syrup

Tips:

• It’s best to measure by volume for this, so if you don’t have cup measures, use ¾ of a mug of both water and sugar. As long as they are equal volumes it will work fine.
• Also enjoy the tea simply syrup on ice cream, in granita, on pancakes, in cocktails etc...
• Use your favourite tea: Earl Grey, rooibos, chamomile, green tea, mint...

Step 1: Heat the water, then steep the tea (use your favorite: earl grey, rooibos, chamomile, green tea, mint)  for 4 minutes
Step 2: Strain the leaves out of the mixture over a bowl, squeezing the leaves/bag to extract the water

Step 3: Return the tea-infused water to the saucepan, add the sugar and heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
Step 4: Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then store in a sterilized jar.

How long will simple syrup keep?

Simple syrup will keep for up to 1 month if kept in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

Fruit Salad with Tea Simple Syrup

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

This fresh fruit salad is livened up with a tea-infused simple syrup. It's quick, easy and delicious. A tasty and summery vegan and gluten free dessert. 

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine International

Servings 8

Calories 41 kcal

Ingredients

 

UK Measures<< Convert to USA Measures >>

For the Tea Simple Syrup

• ¾ cup water
• 3 tablespoon tea leaves or 3 tea bags {I used white peony tea, but you could use any: green, Earl grey, English breakfast, chamomile, rooibos etc...)}
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

For the fruit salad (this is just a guideline, use what's available or in season)

• 100 g melon cut into bite sized pieces
• 75 g raspberries
• 75 g blueberries
• 75 g strawberries
• 50 g grapes
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon tea simple syrup (see above
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves

Instructions

 

For the Tea Simple Syrup

• Heat the water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, but not boiling. Add the tea, remove from the heat and allow to steep for 4 minutes.
  
• Strain the leaves out of the mixture over a bowl, squeezing the leaves/bag to extract the water, then return the tea-infused water to the saucepan, add the sugar and heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
  
• Remove from the heat and allow the tea simple syrup to cool to room temperature. Carefully pour it into a sealable jar (a funnel helps) and store for up to 1 month in the fridge.

For the fruit salad:

• Add all the fruit to a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Drizzle with 3 tablespoon of the tea simple syrup (or to taste) and scatter with the fresh mint leaves and serve.

Notes

• It’s best to measure by volume for this, so if you don’t have cup measures, use ¾ of a mug of both water and sugar. As long as they are equal volumes it will work fine.
• Also enjoy the tea simply syrup on ice cream, in granita, on pancakes, in cocktails etc…
• Use your favourite tea: Earl Grey, rooibos, chamomile, green tea, mint…

Nutrition

Calories: 41kcalCarbohydrates: 10gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 430IUVitamin C: 12.3mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.2mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.