This fruit salad is comfort food from my childhood. It was on every holiday table, and was one of the first recipes I learned how to make! It was easy to veganize by using Dandies marshmallows and substituting Silk plain soy yogurt for the sour cream:
It is called five cup fruit salad because the original recipe called for one cup of each ingredient. I think it is easier to use all of the pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges, though, so my recipe makes more like six cups. Start by toasting the coconut until it is golden brown, then let the pan cool on a rack while you add the other ingredients. I used sweetened shredded coconut, because that is what my mom and grandma always used when I was a kid. Next time I make it, though, I will use unsweetened coconut to make the salad a little less sweet.
Drain the pineapple tidbits, and add them to a large bowl:
Add the soy yogurt and stir together:
Add the Dandies marshmallows and stir again:
Add half of the toasted coconut, and mix it in:
Save the other half in a baggie:
Drain the mandarin oranges, add them to the bowl, and fold them in very gently:
Some of the orange segments will break, but try to keep them as whole as possible:
Cover, and refrigerate for several hours:
Stir the salad very gently, then sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut on top before serving. Enjoy!
Five Cup Fruit Salad
Pineapple, mandarin oranges, vegan marshmallows, and toasted coconut make this fruit salad a holiday favorite!
Ingredients
- 20 oz can Pineapple Tidbits in Juice
- 15 oz can Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup
- 300 g (1 1/4 c) Silk Plain Soy Yogurt
- 125 g (1 1/4 c) Dandies Mini Vegan Marshmallows
- 90 g (1 c) Shredded Coconut
Instructions
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Spread the coconut out on a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. When the coconut is golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Use unsweetened coconut if you want the salad to be less sweet.
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While the toasted coconut is cooling, drain the pineapple tidbits and add them to a mixing bowl.
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Add the yogurt to the bowl and stir together with the pineapple tidbits. I really like the Silk plain soy yogurt in this, but you can use any unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt.
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Add the Dandies marshmallows and stir again.
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Add half of the toasted coconut to the bowl, and stir it in. Save the other half of the coconut in a baggie to put on top of the fruit salad later.
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Drain the mandarin oranges, add them to the bowl, and fold them in very gently. Some of the orange segments will break, but try to keep them as whole as possible.
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Cover, and refrigerate for several hours. Stir the chilled salad very gently, then sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut on top before serving. Enjoy!