Very Berry Fruit Salad

This easy fruit salad recipe is a dazzler: a large bowl of colorful berries served with a cool lemon curd sauce. Use room-temperature fruit in this berry salad (or if you are taking the berries out of the refrigerator, set them in an oven that’s recently been on to gently warm them). The flavor of warm or room-temperature berries is so much better, as if they’re fresh-picked and still hold the warmth of the sun.

Prep/Cook Time: 3:15 Hours, Servings: 8

Ingredients

Berry Puree

• 1½ cups fresh raspberries
• 1 cup hulled and quartered fresh ripe strawberries
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼–½ cup sugar

Lemon Sauce

• ¼ cup prepared lemon curd
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream, crème fraîche or plain Greek yogurt

Berries

• 4 cups fresh strawberries
• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• Sugar to taste (optional)
• 1½ cups fresh raspberries
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Directions

1. To prepare puree: Puree 1 1/2 cups raspberries, 1 cup strawberries, orange juice and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Add sugar to taste. Set aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours or cover and refrigerate.
2. To prepare sauce: Place lemon curd in a medium bowl and gradually stir in sour cream (or crème fraîche or yogurt). Transfer to a serving dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. To prepare berries: If refrigerated, remove berries and the berry puree from the refrigerator about 3 hours before serving to bring them to room temperature. (Room-temperature berries and puree have the best flavor.) About 1 hour before serving, hull and quarter the strawberries and combine with the blueberries and blackberries in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the puree. Adjust the sweetness if necessary by gradually adding sugar to taste, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
4. Just before serving, add the raspberries to the bowl, tossing very gently with two spoons and being careful not to break up the berries. Transfer to a serving dish, if desired, and garnish with mint. Serve each portion of berries topped with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon sauce.

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.