Carambola or Star Fruit Salad and 25 More Starfruit Recipes

If you love combining fruits with your savory dishes this Serrano ham and carambola or star fruit salad recipe is a colorful summer dinner salad with few but beautiful ingredients that will impress your family and guests. I also found you 25 magnificent starfruit recipes to enjoy this beautiful fruit.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Video • Preparation

Carambola salad with serrano ham.

Why I ❤️ it

As a denizen of a tropical corner of the world, I am very spoiled when it comes to fruits, and I love adding them to savory dishes. This beautiful salad is a symphony of flavors (from the strong Serrano ham to the mild carambola), and gorgeous colors.

Carambolas are a fruit with a very mild taste, with only a hint of sweetness. It is most appreciated for its stunning shape (a star, as the name suggests). Whenever I see it in the supermarket I can't contain myself from buying some.

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Utensils and tools

• Wire whisk or immersion blender

Ingredients

For the dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 sprigs parsley
• ¼ teaspoon white granulated sugar

For the salad

• 1 iceberg lettuce, (see notes), washed, and spinned-dry
• 2 carambola/star fruits, cut into fine slices
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into fine strips
• 4 ounces [113 gr] Serrano ham, sliced then shredded into thin pieces

Video

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Mix dressing

Combine all the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, salt, parsley, sugar) in the mixing cup. Using a stick blender process until you obtain a uniform mixture.

Step 2: Make the salad

Arrange all the ingredients for the salad (lettuce, star fruit, pepper, ham) on a serving plate. Serve alongside dressing.

Variations

This is a salad that works with several other fruits, so if you don't have carambola, you can use apples or pears (sliced very thinly) instead of carambola. You can also add other vegetables to it, like thinly-sliced cucumbers, black olives, and even sliced seedless grapes.

Make it sparkle like jewelry with some pomegranate seeds if you have it.

Serving suggestions

This is a marvelous summer salad recipe, perfect for dining al fresco, but can also be served as a light dinner for two.

Nutritional information

Calories: 158kcal - Carbohydrates: 8g - Protein: 7g - Fat: 11g - Saturated Fat: 2g - Cholesterol: 10mg - Sodium: 578mg - Potassium: 221mg - Fiber: 2g - Sugar: 5g - Vitamin A: 1090IU - Vitamin C: 38.3mg - Calcium: 19mg - Iron: 0.8mg

What's star fruit?

Carambola, starfruit or star fruit, is the fruit of the tropical tree Averrhoa carambola native of Southeast Asia (Southern China, India, Malaysia, etc.)

It was spread to other tropical and subtropical areas, including South America and the Caribbean by the Portuguese.

The yellow or orange star-shaped fruit has a pear-like consistency and a very mild flavor. The unripe fruit has a green color that changes when it matures. When cut, the slices have the shape of stars, hence the name.

Health benefits of starfruit

Carambola is rich in antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C, low in sugar, sodium, and acids. It is a good source of antioxidant polyphenols.

Note that carambola should not be consumed by those suffering from any type of kidney disease, and people on certain medications because of its high content of oxalic acids. You may want to talk to a health professional about it.

How to eat star fruit

Star fruit can be made into starfruit drinks, juices, salads, chutneys, and desserts. And, of course, you can eat the fruit on its own too. Carambola slices are perfect as garnishes for drinks and dishes with their beautiful star shape cross section.

Starfruit recipes

If you wanted to know how to eat star fruit (aside as just a fruit), you'll be amazed at all the things that can be done with the carambola fruit.

1. Starbucks-inspired lemonade starfruit kiwi refresher mocktail
2. Apple and starfruit juice
3. Keto vegetarian star fruit chips
4. Carambola iced tea
5. Starfruit popsicles
6. Fruit salad with starfruit
7. Ginger, lemon and star fruit tea
8. Spinach, mango and starfruit smoothie
9. Carambola and kiwi jam
10. Orzo and star fruit salad
11. Carambola chutney
12. Strawberry starfruit smoothie bowl
13. Carambola wine
14. Star fruit pickle
15. Carambola green juice
16. Cinnamon starfruit tart
17. Starfruit salad dressing
18. Carambola strawberry jam
19. Star fruit juice
20. Fennel, mint, and starfruit infused water
21. Starfruit cake
22. Keto starfruit bake
23. Starfruit salsa
24. Pineapple starfruit tequila
25. Carambola juice

More salad recipes

See more: salad recipes dinner recipes lunch recipes

FAQs

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