Carissa Stanton’s Fruit Salad Gets a Kick From a Secret Ingredient

cups of fruit salad

Alanna Hale

You won’t be able to stop eating this colorful concoction.

“I felt it was my job to make fruit salad hip again, and I’m pretty sure I nailed it with this one,” writes Carissa Stanton, AKA Brocc Your Body, in her new cookbook, Seriously, So Good: Simple Recipes for a Balanced Life. “It’s extremely refreshing, but packs a nice little punch from Tajín, the citrusy, mildly spicy Mexican seasoning blend of chiles, lime, and salt.”

Why add Tajín to your pantry? If you’re not up to speed on how to use this trendy seasoning, Stanton has some guidance: “Spending time in Mexico really hooked me on Tajín and the nice zing it gives fresh fruit. It’s usually sprinkled on top when you buy cut fruit from a street vendor down there, and it accentuates the natural sweetness of anything. It’s also delicious on vegetables like carrots and cucumbers.”

“You can really use any fruit you like in this,” Stanton advises in her utterly delectable spicy fruit salad recipe. “But I highly suggest watermelon, mango, and pineapple, as they pair well with the Tajín. Jicama is also a super fun addition. It’s a root vegetable that has the crisp texture of an apple but really doesn’t have much sweetness. It’s a nice counterbalance to any sweet fruit you use and adds a fun texture! I like to serve these in pretty individual cups instead of one big bowl. Try it out.”

Carissa Stanton’s Spicy Fruit Salad

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups bite-size pieces of mixed fruit, such as watermelon, mango, pineapple, strawberries, honeydew, cucumber, and jicama

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon Tajín (or 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt)

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the fruit, lime juice, mint, and Tajín and gently toss to combine evenly. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Note: This can be made 1 hour in advance, covered and refrigerated.

Excerpted from Seriously, So Good: Simple Recipes for a Balanced Life. Copyright @ 2024 by Carissa Stanton. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Alanna Hale. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.