Classic Fresh Cran-Fruit Salad (Sugar-free Cranberry Salad)

Cran-Fruit Salad

Here is a bright and beautiful Cranberry Salad that is refreshing as well as tasty - and guilt-free! I like to chop the fruit/jicama by hand for neat diced pieces whereas the food processor makes it more like a relish. But if you prefer, go ahead and use a food processor - the salad will be ready in no time at all. It is the perfect make ahead salad for a family or special company meal whichever way it is made!

Frozen cranberries are even better as they chop easily rather than get mushy. It is not necessary to peel the apple.

Other fruits that are delicious in this salad are fresh pineapples, persimmons, and firm regular pears. The salad will last fresh for a few days; in fact it tastes better after marinating together for a few hours.

Ingredients:

4-6 oz. Fresh or frozen Cranberries
1  small Jicama, Asian or Regular Pear, Peeled
1 Apple, cored
1 Orange
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 small Pomegranate, seeded
1 Tbsp Agave Syrup, Sugar or other sweetener (optional)

Zest the orange using a micro-plane or a fine grater; do not scrape off any of the white pith - use only the colorful part. Place the zest in a large bowl.

Remove the peel from the orange.

Chop all the fruits into small dice and add to the bowl.

Alternately, put cranberries in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times just until coarsely chopped. Add the apples and pear/jicama pieces to the food processor and pulse a couple of times. Add the orange segments and pulse again 2 or 3 times until the salad is just chopped; pour the salad into the bowl.

Mix well with salt and the orange zest; taste and add the sweetener if desired.

Spoon the salad into the serving dish and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top; let marinate together for a couple of hours before serving. If made ahead, cover and chill until needed.

Serve.  Enjoy!!