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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Easy Recipe for Grape Salad

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This refreshing recipe for grape salad brings sweet and savory together to create the perfect side dish! With a bit of added kick from the addition of jalapeño peppers and creaminess from the avocado and cojita cheese, the sweetness of the grapes are nicely balanced.

recipe for grape salad with avocado and cojita cheese in a white bowl

Salads are my comfort food. They are always refreshing, filling, and can be made with lots of flavorful ingredients. They are ideal for potlucks, holiday dinners, or family gatherings too. Or, if you are like me, you can enjoy a big salad for dinner!

I love the combination of sweet and spicy flavors together in one dish. The sweetness balances out the spice, and makes for the perfect bite!

Latest Recipe Video!

Chopped salads, like this recipe for grape salad, are awesome, because all of the ingredients end up being roughly the same size and you can throw just about anything in there and it will taste great. This particular salad has creamy avocado, crunchy pumpkin seeds, spicy jalapeño, and instead of the typical tomatoes – we’re changing it up and adding in grapes!

Grapes are in season in the fall and through the winter, so they are a much more seasonal ingredient to add to your salads during the cold months. I love the unexpected punch of sweetness they add to this dish!

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: To prepare the dressing: Whisk together the oil, lime juice, honey, and salt in a large bowl.

lime juice stirred into salad dressing

Step 2: To prepare the salad: Stir the grapes, cilantro, jalapeño, and green onions into the dressing. Add the avocado and stir again lightly. Sprinkle the top with the pumpkin seeds and cheese, if desired.

grapes and avocado tossed in a bowl

Step 3: Serve chilled!

recipe for grape salad with avocado and cojita cheese in a white bowl

What Makes This Recipe For Grape Salad Healthy?

  • Low in Calories, Fresh Ingredients: Everything you need for this salad is a fresh and wholesome ingredient. Additionally, one huge serving of this grape salad has under 170 calories! If you’re looking for clean whole food ingredients, this salad will hit the spot!
  • Vitamins and Minerals: With the addition of grapes, avocado, and nutrient rich pumpkin seeds you’ll get vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin K, riboflavin, and potassium.
  • Antioxidants: The ingredients in this recipe for grape salad have one thing in common…antioxidants! They are vital for protecting your cells and fighting against illnesses. 

Will Kids Enjoy This Recipe For Grape Salad?

Most kids are going to adore everything about this recipe for grape salad. It’s filled with sweet red grapes and creamy avocado as well as a simple honey sweetened homemade dressing. This is the type of salad that your kids are going to be happy to devour every time you put it in front of them.

For little kids, you might want to quarter the grapes instead of just halving them. I also suggest removing a portion of the salad for the kids before adding the jalapeños so that it isn’t too spicy for them.

recipe for grape salad with avocado and cojita cheese in a white bowl

Recipe FAQs

How To Store and Keep Grape Salad

If you store the homemade grape salad in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid, it will keep 2-3 days. The biggest challenge with this salad is that it needs to be refrigerated when it’s not being served. If it sits out very long it can begin to spoil quickly. 
Never let the salad sit out for longer than an hour or two unless it is on ice. This will help keep it from spoiling.

Can You Freeze Grape Salad?

Unfortunately no, it will not freeze well (will become mushy and watery when thawed)

Recipe Variations

  • Use Different Grapes: Any seedless grape works well in this salad. You could also change it up a bit and opt for a green grape. Green grapes are more tangy than sweet. So keep that in mind when you are preparing your grape salad.
  • Add fresh herbs: Adding fresh herbs is a wonderful idea. Not only do herbs give you more flavor, but they are also vibrant and beautiful. I used fresh cilantro for this recipe because it pairs well with the other ingredients. However, you can easily swap it or use it with any other fresh herb. I suggest parsley, chives, or mint. 
  • Skip the jalapeño: If you’re not into spice, skip the jalapeño. You’ll still have a bright and flavorful salad.
  • Add Nuts: This grape salad recipe uses pumpkin seeds, but walnuts or pecans would also taste great in this salad.

Top Tips For Making This Recipe For Grape Salad

  • Wash and dry your grapes well so they don’t make the salad too watery.
  • Cut the grapes in half before preparing the salad. This is a vital step because if you are serving it to children especially it can be a choking hazard. Plus, it’s just easier to eat when the grapes are in half. 
  • You can easily customize the salad by adding or omitting some of the ingredients. For example, if you aren’t a fan of Cojita cheese, you could swap it for feta, goat, or leave it off all together. 
  • Mincing the jalapeño will help spread the heat throughout the salad and not be too overwhelming. 
  • Don’t make this grape salad recipe ahead of time – it tastes the best when it’s freshly tossed!
recipe for grape salad with avocado and cojita cheese in a white bowl

Check Out These Other Healthy Salad Recipes!

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🎥 Watch How to Make It

https://youtu.be/SLqTjiChxmA
recipe for grape salad with avocado and cojita cheese in a white bowl
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Easy Recipe for Grape Salad

This refreshing recipe for grape salad brings sweet and savory together to create the perfect side dish! With a bit of added kick from the addition of jalapeño peppers and creaminess from the avocado and cojita cheese, the sweetness of the grapes are nicely balanced.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 162.4kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Dressing:

Salad:

  • 3 cups red seedless grapes halved
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 1 ripe avocado cubed
  • ¼ cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese optional

Instructions

To prepare the dressing:

  • Whisk together the oil, lime juice, honey, and salt in a large bowl.

To prepare the salad:

  • Stir the grapes, cilantro, jalapeño, and green onions into the dressing. Add the avocado and stir again lightly. Sprinkle the top with the pumpkin seeds and cheese, if desired.

Notes

    Recipe Variations
    • Use Different Grapes: Any seedless grape works well in this salad. You could also change it up a bit and opt for a green grape. Green grapes are more tangy than sweet. So keep that in mind when you are preparing your grape salad.
    • Add fresh herbs: Adding fresh herbs is a wonderful idea. Not only do herbs give you more flavor, but they are also vibrant and beautiful. I used fresh cilantro for this recipe because it pairs well with the other ingredients. However, you can easily swap it or use it with any other fresh herb. I suggest parsley, chives, or mint. 
    • Skip the jalapeño: If you’re not into spice, skip the jalapeño. You’ll still have a bright and flavorful salad.
    • Add Nuts: This grape salad recipe uses pumpkin seeds, but walnuts or pecans would also taste great in this salad.
    Top Tips For Making This Recipe For Grape Salad
    • Wash and dry your grapes well so they don’t make the salad too watery.
    • Cut the grapes in half before preparing the salad. This is a vital step because if you are serving it to children especially it can be a choking hazard. Plus, it’s just easier to eat when the grapes are in half. 
    • You can easily customize the salad by adding or omitting some of the ingredients. For example, if you aren’t a fan of Cojita cheese, you could swap it for feta, goat, or leave it off all together. 
    • Mincing the jalapeño will help spread the heat throughout the salad and not be too overwhelming. 
    • Don’t make this grape salad recipe ahead of time – it tastes the best when it’s freshly tossed!
    Adapted from Heather K. Jones

    Nutrition

    Calories: 162.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.3g | Protein: 2.6g | Fat: 9.7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4.2mg | Sodium: 149.4mg | Potassium: 315.9mg | Fiber: 2.8g | Sugar: 13.5g

    Anjali Shah

    Posted In…

    Vegetarian And Vegan Salad Recipes ·

    Plant based salads are the perfect way to incorporate fresh seasonal produce into your meals.

    These healthy, vegetarian salad recipes include lighter salads made with greens, hearty pasta salads or potato salads, fruit salads, and more!

    All of these recipes can easily be made into vegan salads as well with a few swaps (located in each recipe’s notes).

    Be sure to try some of these favorites: roasted cauliflower salad, spinach and arugula salad, healthy fruit salad, and gluten free pasta salad!

    12 responses to “Easy Recipe for Grape Salad”

    1. I love the look of this! So many amazing flavours married together. There’s nothing better than a good homemade salad, especially when there’s avocado involved!5 stars

    2. Awesome recipe!
      It will certainly happen tomorrow. I am amazed at low calories it contains. It perfectly suits those who prefer both healthy eating and want to lose weight. You do not always have to only eat veggies to lose weight; but, if you follow the right kinds of salads that are rich in nutrients, high in proteins and low in fat, then you might be in for some good results.
      Thanks for sharing!

    3. I couldn’t wait and made it this morning, took it to my Mahjong group this afternoon. Eight women who RAVED about it and scraped every last morsel out of the bowl! I skipped the pumpkin seeds (because I don’t like them) and the jalapeno because I didn’t know everyone’s “hot” level! Oh, I also used blue cheese. I will be making this again and again!!

      (Oh, I also share it on my FB page: Girlfriends Weight Loss Support Group)

      • Woohoo!! That is such great news Barb! Love the idea of swapping in blue cheese – I bet that gave the salad a wonderful “bite”! Thanks for sharing it too! 🙂

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