Fruit salad is tasty. It is also refreshing and, quite frankly, a boon to any super salty picnic or barbecue plate. However, it isn’t exactly the star of the show. Sad to say, but sometimes fruit salad can be a bit one note, and while that note is delicious, it might be worth considering adding a new, spicy element to it.
Chile peppers, those spicy little nightshades so often found in salsas, pico de gallo, and ceviches among other dishes, might be just what your fruit salad is missing. After all, the combination of sweet and spicy foods is pretty well known (think chili flakes in dark chocolate), and for good reason. Both sweet and spicy foods trigger a pleasure response. The combination of the two brings both flavors to a whole new level. Meanwhile, the fruit can help soothe the burning edge of the peppers, allowing you to enjoy more spice per scoop.
Now there is a little more to this combination than tossing some chopped jalapeños to your run-of-the-mill fruit salad. Of course, you can do this. After all, jalapeños are no stranger to fruit pairings, and work well with many typical fruit salad selections, including grapes. Jalapeños even pair well with the fruity notes of certain white wines, making them a great way to spice up your next glass of sauvignon blanc. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind if you want to make your next fruit bowl extra special.
Picking the perfect pepper
To start, you might want to try tailoring your chile pepper selection to the fruit in your salad. For example, if your salad includes mangoes, peaches, or pineapples, the super hot habanero makes the perfect pairing, bringing a citrus flavor and unique sweet heat that complements these fruits. You can also add some mint to the mix, which can help cool down the heat from your pepper. Another great combination is jalapeño and strawberry, as jalapeño has an earthy, bitter taste that goes well with the sweet and tart red fruit (similar to why strawberry makes a great addition to grassy matcha lattes that taste like spring). The key here is to pair your chile pepper with at least one complementary fruit, allowing those two flavors to guide the overall taste of the salad.
There are a number of ways to mix in your peppers with fruit salad. And while you can simply dice your peppers and add them in with the rest of your fruit, there are a few more creative methods to go about infusing your salad with spice. For starters, you can mix your pepper into a dressing (with honey and lime or lemon juice for balance) to coat your fruit. You can also turn your peppers into a quick pickle for an interesting, tangy, and slightly salty kick. And if you’re out of fresh chiles, Tajín (a Mexican seasoning that gives candy apples a blast of tangy flavor and which is also often used on other fruits such as mango) or cayenne pepper also makes a great addition in a pinch.
