Growing up, cranberry salad was a part of every Thanksgiving & Christmas meal.
Sometimes called cranberry relish, the recipe that I grew up with called for canned pineapple, orange Jell-O & even more sugar.
Yikes!
Now, as a general rule, I don’t demonize foods – especially at the holidays, because you only enjoy them for a few days each year.
But as my palate changed over the years, I wasn’t as fond of the overwhelmingly sweet Jell-O version. So I experimented with several variations before landing on this one.
Though it still has added sugar, it also contains a notable amount of fiber, vitamins & healthy fats from the fresh fruit, pecans, chia seeds & flax seeds.
Not only is it easy to make, but it’s easily adjusted to your own tastes. You can add more or less sugar as you see fit, and you can go light or heavy on the pecans depending upon your preference.
I enjoy the fresh flavors of this upgraded version & I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for a tasty twist on a holiday favorite.
Fresh Cranberry Salad
• 1 pkg (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed & dried
• 1 small to medium pineapple, with half chopped into larger pieces that will go into the food processor & the other half chopped fine (you can also buy already cored pineapple if you want to save a step)
• 3 large navel oranges, segmented & divided – with half chopped into larger pieces that will go into the food processor & the other half chopped fine
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup chia/flax meal*
Chop pineapple & segment oranges. Half of each fruit can be cut into larger pieces, because they’ll be added to the food processor with the cranberries. The other half should be chopped fine & placed into a bowl.
Place cranberries along with the larger pieces of pineapple & oranges into a food processor. Pulse until the cranberries are no longer whole. You don’t have to liquefy it – pulsing it enough so that the cranberries, pineapple & oranges are broken into pieces is sufficient, but it’s all a matter of personal preference.
Once it has the texture you prefer, remove & add to the bowl with the reserved (finely chopped) pineapple & oranges.
Add sugar & pecans to taste and mix well.
Add chia-flax meal & mix well, avoiding any clumps.
Cover, place in refrigerator & chill for at least 12 to 24 hours before serving.
Usually lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
*chia/flax meal can be made by adding equal parts chia seeds & flax seeds to a Bullet or food processor & processing until fine.