Simple Fruit Salad Recipe

This Simple Fruit Salad is the best choice for those looking for something quick, filling and festive. This elbow macaroni dessert is packed full of flavor, fun vibrant colors, and a good amount of sweetness. Perfect for summer picnics, as a simple but impressive looking brunch, or even as a light snack. One of the best creamy macaroni salad recipes you’ll find!

What makes this Simple Filipino Fruit and Macaroni Salad recipe different ? Often served in during the holidays or special occasions like fiestas and family gatherings. Unlike the usual savory macaroni salad in western cuisine. Filipino macaroni is often served as a chilled slightly savory, or more so sweet ( made with fruits and traditional Filipino ingredients ) dish. Made with staple ingredients, a simple mix of fruit cocktail salad with condensed milk, evaporated milk, colored nata de coco, and or kaong, tossed in al dente cooked pasta that gives the dish it’s rich milky sweetness and interesting look. Some variations add in different fruits, usually what’s seasonal or more readily available to you location wise and budget wise like ‘pasta salad with apples and grapes’ which adds a nice crunch into the dish, or a simple ‘macaroni salad with apples’, which is also a popular choice by many.

Ingredients of Macaroni Fruit Salad :

• Elbow macaroni – the main ingredient for this recipe, you can choose to use small or big elbow mac. Just make sure to cook this as per the package instructions.
• Canned mixed fruits / fruit cocktail – adds a natural sweetness and color to the dish. You can also choose to use fresh fruits chopped into bite-sized pieces.
• Nata de coco – or kaong, use the colored version for a more ‘happy’ looking salad.
• Cheese – adds a nice sharpness in contrast to the sweet creaminess of the dish.
• All purpose cream – chilled and whipped slightly to give the salad a nice light texture.
• Mayonnaise – adds a creamy mouthfeel and a rich taste.
• Condensed milk – gives the dish it’s iconic delicious creamy sweetness.

How do you make a Macaroni Salad ?

Ingredients :

• 300 grams elbow macaroni
• 836 grams canned mixed fruits / fruit cocktail
• 1 cup red nata de coco 
• 1 cup green nata de coco, or you can also use kaong
• ⅓ cup cheese ( diced )
• 250 ml all purpose cream ( chilled )
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¾ to 1 cup condensed milk ( adjust as needed )

Steps :

1. Add a little salt in a pot of boiling water. Add in the elbow macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and let it cool completely.

2. While it’s cooling, drain all the canned fruits and nata de coco of its syrup.

3. In a large bowl, place in the macaroni, fruit cocktail, red and green nata de coco, and cheese.

4. In another bowl, pour in the chilled all purpose cream, mayonnaise, and condensed milk. Mix well. Give it a taste and add more condensed milk as needed.

5. Pour in the cream mixture over the fruit salad. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Questions:

• Can you make Macaroni Fruit Salad without Mayonnaise ?

Yes, you can replace the mayonnaise with more sweetened condensed milk, fresh cream, a mixture of both or even yogurt.

• Additional Fruit Macaroni Salad Ingredients
  • Chicken Macaroni Fruit Salad – For a Macaroni Chicken Fruit Salad recipe you can get a cooked roasted chicken from the grocery, leftovers from the fridge that has been reheated, or steam your own seasoned chicken just until tender. Shred then toss it into the salad. You can also add apples to make this into the crowd favorite “Chicken Macaroni Salad with Apple.
  • Filipino Fruit Salad Recipe with Cheese – This macaroni salad Filipino style recipe already has keso ( Filipino cheddar ) into the ingredient list but you can add more cheesy flavors like cubed mozzarella, eden cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, or velveeta.
  • Fruity Macaroni Salad Recipe – While this fruit salad with macaroni recipe is easy as it is Yummy, you can aslo make this even healthier and filling by adding more fruits like apples, grapes, raisins, oranges, pears, or any fruit you want.

• Sweet and Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe Calories
  • Macaroni Fruit Salad Calories per 100g – it has around 180 to 250 calories.
  • 500 grams Macaroni Salad recipe calories – for the amount of macaroni salad 500g, there are about 1500 to 2000 calories.
  • 1 kilo Chicken Macaroni Salad recipe – a simple macaroni fruit salad recipe for 1 kilo has around 3000 to 3800 calories. Depending on how much condensed milk you add.

• Filipino Macaroni Salad Vegetarian

For a vegetarian fruit macaroni salad recipe follow the ingredients and steps as is. But if you are looking for a ‘vegan’ version make sure to use vegan all purpose cream, vegan cheese, vegan mayonnaise, and vegan condensed milk.

If you’re looking for something classic to make these upcoming holidays. This Simple macaroni salad recipe is always a great choice. Quick, Yummy, and a foolproof crowdpleaser. Learning how to cook macaroni fruit salad is easy, requires a few ingredients and steps. Among the many sweet macaroni recipes in the Philippine culinary world, this recipe whether you are a beginner or seasoned cook stants out for it’s unique flavor combination and textures from the pasta and fruits. It’s a refreshing snack for the summer, and a nostalgic side dish to enjoy during the holidays,

Try our other Filipino salad dessert Recipes :

Macaroni Fruit Salad Resepi

( Paraan ng Pagluluto ng Fruit Salad )

Mga Sangkap :

• 300 gramo elbow macaroni
• 836 gramolata ng mixed fruits / fruit cocktail
• 1 tasa ng pulang red nata de coco 
• 1 tasa ng berdeng nata de coco, or you can also use kaong
• ⅓ tasa keso ( hiniwa na pa-parisukat )
• 250 ml all purpose cream ( pinalamig )
• 1 tasa ng mayonnaise
• ¾ o 1 tasa ng condensed milk ( dagdagan kung kinakailangan )

Paano Lutuin :

1. Lagyan ng asin ang palayok na may kumukulong tubig. Ilagay dito ang elbow macaroni at lutuin hanggang al dente. Salain at palamigin.
2. Habang pinapalamig. Salain ang mga de lata na prutas at nata de coco.
3. Sa malaking mangkok, ihalo ang macaroni, fruit cocktail, pula at berdeng nata de coco at keso.
4. Sa ibang mangkok, haluin ang all purpose cream, mayonnaise, at condensed milk. Tikman at lagyan ng konti pang condensada kung kinakailangan.
5. Ibuhos ang crema sa fruit salad. Haluin ng mabuti at i-ref ng 4 oras o higit pa bago ihanda.