Easy Grape Salad: A Fresh and Simple Fruit Salad with Grapes
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This Easy Grape Salad is a go-to fruit salad with grapes all year long. This refreshing clementine salad combines sweet grapes, juicy clementines, fresh mint, and crunchy walnuts to create something truly special that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, or just a healthy side dish. The best part? It only takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish!
Why I Love This Recipe
I first tried making this easy grape salad when I was looking for a fresh side dish to brighten up our winter meals. My family immediately fell in love with it because the honey poppyseed dressing brings all the flavors together perfectly. Now it’s become our go-to fruit salad for busy weeknights, weekend brunches, and potluck gatherings.
What makes this recipe so special is that you can find all the ingredients year-round at your local grocery store. Even my meat-and-potatoes husband John gives this fruit salad with grapes two thumbs up! That’s saying something because he usually turns his nose up at anything that doesn’t involve a big slab of meat.
Key Ingredient Notes
While you’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below, I wanted to highlight a few important ingredients:
- Grapes: I like using both red and green grapes for color and slight flavor differences. Make sure they’re firm and sweet – taste one before you start!
- Clementines: These sweet little oranges peel easily and have no seeds. You can substitute regular oranges, but you’ll need to remove any seeds.
- Fresh Mint: Don’t skip the mint! It adds such a refreshing flavor. If you don’t have fresh mint, try fresh basil for a different twist.
- Walnuts: Toasting the walnuts for 5 minutes in a dry pan really brings out their flavor. You can substitute pecans or almonds if you prefer.
Pro Tips for Making Perfect Easy Grape Salad
Before you head to the recipe card, here are some helpful tips I’ve learned from making this dish many times:
- Cut grapes evenly: Halve your grapes lengthwise so they’re all about the same size. This helps the dressing coat everything evenly.
- Dry your fruit: After washing, pat the grapes dry with paper towels. Wet fruit will dilute your dressing.
- Don’t overdress: Start with just a little dressing – you can always add more! Too much will make your fruit salad with grapes soggy.
- Add nuts last: Sprinkle walnuts on individual servings to keep them crunchy. Nobody likes soggy nuts!
- Make it ahead: You can prep all the fruit up to 4 hours ahead. Just wait to add the dressing and nuts until serving time.
Serving Suggestions
This easy grape salad pairs wonderfully with Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole or Italian Sausage and Potatoes for a hearty breakfast or brunch. For a complete meal, I like to serve it alongside a Chicken Gyro or Baked Salmon for a light dinner. If you’re making this clementine salad for a party, try serving it in individual butter lettuce cups for a pretty presentation!
To serve, simply spoon the fruit salad into bowls and top each serving with chopped walnuts. Place extra dressing on the side for folks who want more.
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Storage and Leftovers
This dish will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days stored in an airtight container. The fruit may release some juice, so you might want to drain it before serving leftovers. Don’t add the walnuts to leftovers – keep them separate and add fresh ones when you serve.
If you want to prep ahead, you can cut all your fruit and store it in separate containers. Mix everything together and add the dressing just before serving. This recipe does not freeze well – the fruit texture changes too much when thawed.
Variations to Try
- Tropical Twist: Replace half the grapes with pineapple chunks for a tropical fruit salad with grapes!
- Berry Delicious: Add fresh strawberries or blueberries to make it extra colorful and antioxidant-rich.
- Citrus Lover’s: Use a mix of clementines, grapefruit segments, and orange pieces for an all-citrus version.
- Nut-Free: Skip the walnuts and add toasted coconut flakes or sunflower seeds instead.
- Cheese Please: Add small cubes of feta or fresh mozzarella balls for a sweet and savory combo.
Ready to Make It?
This easy grape salad has become one of my most treasured recipes, and I hope it becomes a favorite in your home too! The combination of sweet grapes, juicy clementines, and that amazing honey poppyseed dressing makes it stand out from other fruit salads. Please let me know in the comments if you try it and what you think! I love hearing how my recipes turn out in your kitchens.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars. Your feedback helps other readers and makes my day!
Easy Grape Salad Recipe with Clementines
Ingredients
salad
- 2 cups grapes halved, I used red and green
- 2 clementines peeled, sliced and sections separated
- 2 tbsp fresh mint finely sliced
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
dressing
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 scallion white and green parts sliced thinly (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Combine all of the salad ingredients, except the walnuts. Dress the salad very lightly with the dressing. Garnish each individual salads with walnuts before serving. Serve additional dressing on the side.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Related Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoy this easy grape salad, I bet you’ll also love some of my other fruit salad recipes! My Tropical Fruit Cocktail Salad uses many of the same techniques but with a tropical twist. For a fall option, try my Apple Pear Salad which uses a similar lemon poppyseed dressing. And if you’re feeding a crowd, my Orange Salad is always a hit at gatherings and potlucks!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
Originally published: January 14, 2016
Updated: December 29, 2025 with expanded tips, FAQ section, and storage information.
I used this recipe so my clementines didn’t go bad and it is now going to be a regular fruit salad for my husband and I. My 9 year old was not a fan of the dressing, she liked picking at it plain. But my partner said he can live off of the salad! Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoy this salad, Kim!
Looks like a great salad, Julie! The dressing sounds yummy. The poppy seeds look so pretty on the clementines. I miss summer produce, too. My husband is like yours as far as salads go. I will have to give this one a try!
Thank you Shari! I’ve made it 3 times since I came up with it. So easy and delicious.
Eating a clementine as we speak. Be careful with the caveman cracks there is nothing wrong with a big slab of charred meat. LOL The salad looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday. Can’t wait to see what you bring this week!
Ha! A slab of meat and a crock pot! 🙂 Thanks Quinn!
Lovely and fresh. 🙂
Thank you!
What a beautiful salad Julie!! Looks so easy and so healthy!
Thank you Linda. Almost too easy for a recipe, but it went over so well here I thought I’d share.
Oh this is my kind of food! The recipe is bookedmarked as “has to be done asap” 🙂 Yum!
Thank you sweet Petra! Enjoy your day!