Grape Salad

By David Tanis

Updated November 3, 2015

  • Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour chilling time
Rating
4(134)
Comments
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This grape salad, which falls into the same category of old-fashioned party dishes as molded Jell-O salad, comes from a Minnesota-born heiress, who tells me it was always part of the holiday buffet in her family. It couldn’t be simpler to prepare and has only three ingredients: grapes, sour cream and brown sugar. Rather like a creamy fruit salad with a crisp sugar topping, it really is delicious, though the concept sounded strange to me before I first tasted it. Other versions, I hear, call for softened cream cheese and nondairy “whipped topping”; I can’t say I’ll be trying that. Some cooks caramelize the brown sugar under the broiler and some don’t, but I definitely recommend this step, which gives the dish a crème brûlée aura.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • 2 pounds seedless grapes, removed from stems and rinsed, about 6 cups

  • 2 cups sour cream

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • ¾ cup toasted pecans (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

42 grams carbs; 34 milligrams cholesterol; 325 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 25 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 37 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat broiler. Put grapes in a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, making sure all grapes are well coated.

  2. Step 2

    Transfer mixture to a 2-quart ceramic soufflé dish or other baking dish. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top. Place dish under broiler as far from heat source as possible and broil until sugar is caramelized and crispy, about 5 minutes (be vigilant or you’ll risk a burnt black topping). Rotate dish as necessary for even browning. Chill for at least one hour. May be prepared up to 24 hours ahead. Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted pecans, if using.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
134 user ratings
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Comments

Jennifer Falck

I live in Minnesota. When everyone here was upset that this was noted as the official Thanksgiving Day dish, I decided to try my hand at this. I had never heard of this, until the uproar had happened. That being said, I must say, this salad is fantastic! I make it every year and my guests love it too. It's my new tradition.

P. D. Curry

My first encounter with this dish was in the early 1970’s at the Lowell Inn, Stillwater, MN, after we’d moved to Minnesota. It was the final course on the fondue menu in their Matterhorn Room. I duplicated it at home several times but have never seen it elsewhere. Now their menu has a variation, “Fresh Red Grapes, Sweetened Devonshire Cream, Strawberries, Brown Sugar and Mint”. I added pecans, sometimes spiced.

Not a true grape salad

Replace half of the sour cream with cream cheese, add 1/4 Cup of white sugar to the dairy and a splash of vanilla. Add a pinch of kosher salt. This recipe is fine but, the above substitutions significantly improve it.

Barbara Hunter

Not a fan of this recipe or result. A very strange combo of flavors although a couple of my guests said they liked it. I chilled it for 24 hours, then it sat on the counter for at least an hour during which time it got very soupy and kinda gross. Sorry!

Christa

I absolutely adore David Tanis' understatement: "I can't say I'll be trying that." :-) His characteristic understatement is pervasive in his cookbook, One Good Dish, and I love him for it.

Not a true grape salad

Replace half of the sour cream with cream cheese, add 1/4 Cup of white sugar to the dairy and a splash of vanilla. Add a pinch of kosher salt. This recipe is fine but, the above substitutions significantly improve it.

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