I’m not a huge fan of grapes. Sure I’ll snack on them from time to time, but I never really seek them out. However, this creamy grape salad turned me from a grape skeptic into a voracious grape eater. All it takes is a handful of pantry ingredients and a few minutes of effort. It’s fresh and cool and makes the perfect side dish.

Key ingredients

Cream cheese and sour cream: The combination creates a perfectly silky sauce that coats each grape.

Brown sugar: A quarter cup of light brown sugar helps to balance the tang of the cream cheese and sour cream.

Vanilla: Just a splash goes a long way.

Pecans: For some texture, I throw in toasted pecans, which balances out the salad in texture and flavor. Toasted walnuts also work.

Tips for making Grape Salad

Seedless grapes make eating the salad easier.

Add tarragon. The recipe says it’s optional, but I highly recommend including it. It complements all the flavors and adds some elegance to the dish.

Instead of using just green or red grapes, try using a combination of different varieties of grapes. I love muscat, cotton candy and Champagne grapes, which all have a sweeter profile.

This recipe is flexible and would work well with other creamy ingredients, such as creme fraîche, mascarpone cheese, Greek yogurt or evaporated milk. For a vegan version, you can substitute dairy-free cream cheese and sour cream.