Passion Fruit Salad Dressing

Written by
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Marian Blazes
Updated 02/19/21
Passionfruit salad dressing recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
189 Calories
14g Fat
18g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 189
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 76mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 28mg 138%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 199mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Enjoy the tropical flavor of this passion fruit salad dressing recipe. Quick and easy to make, this dressing will bring an unexpectedly sweet and tart twist to your salads.

Passion fruit is native to the subtropical regions of South America, and it is a part of the local culinary tradition throughout the continent. The taste of passion fruit when it is fresh is bitingly tart and becomes sweeter as it ripens. Many South American specialties use this delectable fruit as an ingredient.

This sweet but tart fruit salad dressing complements many different combinations of greens, and it's quick to make in the blender. It may not be the easiest ingredient to find fresh in your produce section, and perhaps it's unfamiliar to you. If you can't find it fresh, it's often found as a frozen puree or pulp next to frozen fruits. It's worth seeking out if you're looking for a lighter, sweeter salad dressing, but one that has a bit of tartness, too. Try it with a strawberry spinach salad or with pear and blue cheese salad.

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Ingredients

  • 2 passion fruits (or 1/4 cup passion fruit puree)

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for passion fruit dressing
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Cut the passion fruits in half. Scrape the pulp and seeds into a small saucepan.

    Passion fruit pulp and seeds in a saucepan
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat fruit pulp over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Heat the pulp almost to boiling, then remove it from the heat.

    Heat passion fruit over medium-low heat
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Strain the pulp through a fine sieve or colander.

    Strain passion fruit pulp through a fine sieve
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Discard the seeds and let the juice cool.

    Discard seeds from passion fruit
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Put the passion fruit juice, olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, honey, and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth.

    Passion fruit salad dressing ingredients blended until smooth
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Store the salad dressing in the refrigerator for up to one week. Stir or shake before using.

    Passion fruit salad dressing before using in a small white pitcher next to a salad
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tip

Although for this recipe you want the juice from the fruit, the seeds are edible. They are crunchy with a tart taste.

How to Use

Serve a salad sparked with blue cheese or a strawberry spinach salad with passion fruit dressing with other South American foods. Try the salad alongside empanadas, or an Argentinian sandwich of chorizo or other sausage covered with chimichurri sauce. For dinner, steak is incredibly popular in Argentina—don't forget the chimichurri sauce.


But even if you're not going to full-on Argentinian with a meal plan, this dressing is so good with grilled meats such as steak, chicken, or pork.


In general, passion fruit pairs well with a wide range of foods. Anything with tropical and/or citrus notes will taste great with this salad dressing, even a simple green salad with mango chunks, walnuts, and coconut flakes.