Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Uh, good? More like AMAZING. This grape salad is crisp, sweet, and a little tangy. It has all the rich flavors of a really delicious baked dessert, but without actually being a baked dessert.The texture in this salad is SO pleasing. The grapes are crisp and juicy, the dressing is creamy, and the pecans have this incredible crunch.This can be a side dish (like coleslaw or 7 layer salad) or a cool, fruity dessert! You gotta love a recipe that can do both. For a sweeter, even more desserty salad, try vanilla yogurt in place of the sour cream.With 4 pounds of grapes total, this recipe makes a big batch of grape salad. It’s absolutely perfect for potlucks, baby showers, and family barbecues, especially if you’ve got a large group to feed. For smaller gatherings (or just for yourself) you can easily halve the recipe!
Key Ingredients
Grapes – I love, love the colors you get by using green and red grapes together. If you prefer one type of grapes to another, you can absolutely use one type for all 4 pounds. Also, whole grapes can be a choking hazard, so if you’re serving this at a gathering with kids, halve or quarter the grapes before mixing up the salad.Sugar – There’s just enough sugar in this grape salad recipe to offset the tanginess of the sour cream and cream cheese. It’s not so much that it overwhelms the other flavors in the salad, though. If you’re afraid it’ll be too sweet, start out with just 2 tablespoons of white sugar in the dressing, then taste it and add more as desired. You can also use brown sugar or a sugar substitute in the dressing if you’d rather.Pecans – It’s not required, but if you have time, toast the pecans to bring out even more of their buttery, nutty flavor. If you don’t have or don’t like pecans, walnuts or almonds would also work! Add the nuts at the last minute so they stay crunchy. If there’s a nut allergy in your group, you can leave them out completely.
Chef’s Tips
After you wash the grapes, make sure to dry them really well. If they’re still wet, the dressing won’t coat them like it should, and you’ll end up with a liquidy mess.If you’ve got time, mix up the sweet dressing and grapes the night before and let the grape salad (sans nuts and brown sugar garnish) sit in the fridge overnight. That gives the ingredients time to meld and makes them even more flavorful. Don’t make it too far in advance, though, or the grapes will lose their crispness.Use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients for the sweet dressing. It’ll give you a lovely whipped dressing that you can then fold the grapes into. Of course, if you don’t have a hand mixer or just don’t want to fuss with it, don’t fret. A whisk or silicone spatula will work just fine, too!
Include These Other Dishes in your Next Potluck
Chickpea Salad (Mediterranean Style)Keto Broccoli SaladCornbread SaladChicken Salad with GrapesCheesy Broccoli CornbreadPerfect Pea SaladCrisp Apple Salad with Raisins and PecansCauliflower Potato Salad
