Dixie salad is a Thanksgiving family favorite dish. I’m from southern Utah, and I have vivid memories of picking pomegranates for fresh eating and this salad. It tastes more like a dessert, but we always ate it as a salad on the same plate as the rest of our dinner.
The pomegranate, nut, and apple combination gives it a good crunch, while the grapes, whipped cream, and other fruits add a delicious sweetness. It’s one you won’t want to miss!
Watch me make this recipe!
Dice the bananas, apples, and grapes. Do yourself a favor and get one of these fruit choppers. Everything comes out uniform, and it’s quick. Add everything into a bowl. I didn’t have any pineapple, darn it.
This is my method for cutting a pomegranate – cut the ends off each side and cut a vertical slit in the skin, just enough to open up the fruit. I like to split it a part with my hand, put the fruit seed down in my palm, and use a spoon to tap the arils out in my palm over a bowl. Throw all the arils into the bowl, reserving some for the garnish.
Give the pecans a rough chop and add them to the bowl.
Whip the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form, then fold in the vanilla. I used a handheld immersion blender with a whisk attachment. I used regular vanilla, which turns the whipped topping a little brown, so ideally, you’d use clear vanilla.
Add the whipped cream mixture to the fruit and stir well. Transfer the salad into a nice casserole dish and garnish with additional pomegranate arils and pecans.
Check out these other dessert recipes for my Raspberry Pretzel Pie or my Pumpkin Cake!
Are you interested in other Thanksgiving recipes or need ideas? If so, I created a complete guide on hosting a Friendsgiving / Thanksgiving dinner party. Download it below!