Greek Honey Yogurt Fruit Salad with Thyme Honey and Walnuts

Name: Greek Honey Yogurt Fruit Salad with Thyme Honey and Walnuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: ¾ cup (75 g) walnut halves, coarsely chopped; 2 cups (300 g) seedless red grapes, washed, dried and halved lengthwise; 2 medium (360 g) ripe but firm pears, cored and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, unpeeled; 6 medium (270 g) fresh figs, stemmed and cut into quarters; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon; 2 cups (480 g) full-fat Greek yogurt, cold; 3 tablespoons (63 g) thyme honey, plus extra for drizzling (see below); 1 teaspoon (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) pure vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon (¾ g) fine sea salt; 2 tablespoons (42 g) thyme honey, for drizzling; 1 teaspoon (1 g) fresh thyme leaves, picked from the stems (optional); ¼ teaspoon (0.6 g) ground cinnamon (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Seedless grapes, ripe pears and fresh figs are folded into a thick, lemony honey-yogurt dressing, then topped with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of thyme honey. It's cool, creamy and lightly floral, and it works as a breakfast, a light dessert or a side for a brunch spread.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 8 min
Wait: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 18 min
Makes: About 6 cups (6 servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the salad
¾ cup (75 g) walnut halves, coarsely chopped
2 cups (300 g) seedless red grapes, washed, dried and halved lengthwise
2 medium (360 g) ripe but firm pears, cored and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, unpeeled
6 medium (270 g) fresh figs, stemmed and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
For the yogurt dressing
2 cups (480 g) full-fat Greek yogurt, cold
3 tablespoons (63 g) thyme honey, plus extra for drizzling (see below)
1 teaspoon (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon (0.8 g) fine sea salt
To finish
2 tablespoons (42 g) thyme honey, for drizzling
1 teaspoon (1 g) fresh thyme leaves, picked from the stems (optional)
¼ teaspoon (0.6 g) ground cinnamon (optional)

Equipment (7)

Medium skillet (10-inch / 25 cm)
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
Cutting board and sharp knife
Rubber spatula
Serving bowl (about 2-quart / 2-liter)
Fine grater or zester

Steps

Before you start

Use full-fat (5% or 10%) strained Greek yogurt. Low-fat or regular yogurt will turn watery once it meets the fruit.
Choose pears that are ripe but still firm, so they hold their shape when tossed. Figs should be soft and slightly yielding.
Plan 30 minutes of chilling for the fruit and yogurt, and allow time for the walnuts to cool completely before you use them.
If your thyme honey is crystallized, set the jar in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes until it pours.

1
Toast the walnuts
- Set a dry 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the chopped walnuts and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan every minute, until they smell nutty and the cut edges look a shade darker.
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Ready when: Fragrant and lightly golden at the edges
Tip: Walnuts go from toasted to bitter quickly. Pour them out the moment they smell nutty.
2
Cool the walnuts
- Tip the walnuts onto a plate in a single layer.
- Let them cool for 15 minutes so they stay crisp and don't warm the yogurt later.
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Ready when: Completely cool to the touch
3
Mix the dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons thyme honey, lemon zest, vanilla and salt with a spatula until smooth and evenly pale gold.
- Taste it: it should be tangy with gentle sweetness.
- Cover and refrigerate.
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Ready when: Smooth, thick, and no streaks of honey
Tip: If the honey is stiff, stir it in a spoonful of yogurt first, then fold in the rest.
4
Prep grapes and pears
- Halve the grapes lengthwise and put them in a large bowl.
- Core the pears and cut them into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, leaving the skin on for color.
- Add them to the bowl right away and toss with the lemon juice so they don't brown.
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Ready when: Pear cubes are evenly coated and glistening with juice
Tip: Cut the pears last so they spend the least time exposed to air.
5
Cut the figs
- Trim off the woody stems and cut each fig into quarters.
- Add them to the bowl, but don't stir yet, because ripe figs are delicate and bruise easily.
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Ready when: Figs are cut into neat quarters with the pink centers showing
Tip: Use a sharp knife and a light touch so the figs don't smash.
6
Chill the fruit
- Cover the fruit bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- This lets the fruit get properly cold and gives the flavors time to mingle before the dressing goes on.
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Ready when: Fruit is cold to the touch
7
Fold and assemble
- Drain off any juice that has pooled at the bottom of the fruit bowl.
- Add the honey yogurt and fold gently with a spatula, turning the bowl as you go, for about 10 folds, until the fruit is just coated.
- Spoon into a 2-quart (2 liter) serving bowl.
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Ready when: Every piece is lightly coated and no big pockets of plain yogurt remain
Tip: Over-stirring breaks up the figs and turns the dressing pink and runny.
8
Top and serve
- Scatter the cooled walnuts over the salad, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons thyme honey, then finish with the thyme leaves and a dusting of cinnamon, if using.
- Serve right away, or chill for up to 1 hour.
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Ready when: Walnuts sit on top and the honey forms glossy ribbons over the yogurt
Tip: Add the walnuts just before serving so they stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Pat the grapes dry after washing. Extra water thins the dressing.
Keep the pear skin on for color and a little texture, but peel it if the skin is tough.
Taste the fruit before dressing it. If the fruit is very sweet, cut the honey in the dressing to 2 tablespoons.
For the prettiest result, reserve a few fig quarters and place them on top as a garnish.

Make ahead

"Toast and cool the walnuts up to 3 days ahead and keep them airtight at room temperature. Mix the yogurt dressing up to 1 day ahead and chill it. Cut the grapes up to 1 day ahead. Cut the pears and figs, and fold everything together, within 2 hours of serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 1 hour. Fridge: store leftovers without the walnuts in an airtight container for up to 24 hours; the fruit will release some juice, so stir before serving. Freezer: not recommended, as the fruit turns mushy. Store toasted walnuts separately at room temperature for up to 3 days. No reheating is needed; serve cold."

Substitutions

thyme honey → mild wildflower or orange blossom honey, plus a pinch of fresh thyme. Use this if you can't find thyme honey. Stir the thyme into the yogurt for a similar herbal note.
fresh figs → fresh apricots or plums, cut into wedges. Good when figs are out of season. Use the same weight.
walnut halves → pistachios or almonds. Toast for the same time. Pistachios will brown faster, so watch them closely.
full-fat Greek yogurt → labneh thinned with 2 tablespoons milk, or a thick plant-based yogurt. Labneh gives a richer, tangier result. Plant-based yogurt may need extra honey.