Ina Garten Adds Limoncello To Her Fruit Salad To Take It To A Whole New Level

When it comes to your favorite dishes, tried and true is a safe bet. However, switching up the recipe could make your dish stand out from the crowd. Take a cue from Ina Garten, star of Barefoot Contessa. Though she is well known for her easy-going and comforting cuisine, her recipes always have an intriguing twist.

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With a few recipe tweaks, Garten has been able to turn ordinary dishes into swoon-worthy delights. In turn, her impressive dishes have been a hit with many households over the years. Like, her to-die-for mashed potatoes, and cauliflower toast! By combining two unique ingredients, Garten brought traditional mash to stardom with her make-ahead potatoes recipe. And–as the avocado toast obsession began to feel a little cheugy–Garten gave it a fresh twist, with an unlikely veggie, cauliflower.

Recently, an episode of Barefoot Contessa Cook resurfaced showing how to spruce up fruit salad just in time for the holidays. And, luckily it’s insanely easy and involves a special ingredient.

Turning Boring Fruit Salad Into A Marvelous Dessert

So, if you’re looking for the freshest, most irresistible dessert you can find this holiday season, look no further than Garten’s fruit salad recipe. Her secret weapon? Limoncello, a sweet, smooth Italian lemon liqueur. Moreover, it blends perfectly with seasonal fruit while providing balance and a bright taste.

“Very often when I’m in the weeds and I need a really fast dessert, the answer is often on this shelf,” Garten explained to EatingWell as she pointed to the bottles of liquor in her pantry. “Sometimes I reach for the limoncello. It’s an Italian lemon liqueur, and I pour it over berries and serve it with Greek yogurt mixed with lemon curd, honey, and vanilla. Just a sprig of mint, and dessert is served.”

Even though Garten’s fruity crowd-pleaser is bursting with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and bananas, it can easily be adapted to include seasonal fruit. Choose winter varieties for a festive Christmas fruit salad that’s sure to impress with its sweet and tart flavors. Chop kiwifruit, clementines, pomegranates, persimmons, and pears and mix with Garten’s limoncello dressing.

Ina Garten’s Fruit Salad With Limoncello

Ingredients

7 ounces Greek yogurt
1/3 cup lemon curd
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur
1 banana, sliced
Fresh mint sprigs

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon curd, honey, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature.
Prepare the fruit salad by mixing together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, and limoncello. Let the berries macerate for about five minutes with the sugar and liqueur at room temperature. Gently fold in the bananas.
Garnish the fruit salad with a dollop of lemon yogurt dressing and some fresh mint.