This delicious persimmon salad with pear and kale is a real treat. This tasty salad makes a great side dish or a wonderful light lunch.
Persimmons are a fantastic fruit that's only in season for a few months of the year. They have a honey-like flavor and are usually mild. They're often juicy and their texture is somewhere in between a peach and an apple.
This persimmon salad is perfect for fall or winter - when persimmons are at their height (from October through December).
It's juicy and fruity with a nice balance of crunchy and softer elements. The kale is massaged to provide a rich, green background that doesn't overwhelm the other ingredients.
This salad would make a wonderful addition to a holiday table - it's great for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Salad Ingredients
- 1 head Lacinato kale
- 3 Fuyu persimmons
- 1 Red Anjou pear*
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons pipits
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
*You can use any kind of pear you'd like, but red pears are so pretty in a salad!
Tips for Making this Salad
Specialty Ingredients - For this recipe, you'll need Fuyu persimmons. If you can't find them in a grocery store or farmer's market, you can buy them from Melissa's Produce.
Diet/Allergy Alternatives - You can make this recipe vegan by leaving out the crumbled cheese.
Storage
You can save this salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you'd like to make this salad, I suggest adding the pepitas and almonds before serving. This will keep them crispier.
All About Persimmons
Fuyu and Hachiya are the main types of persimmons and are the ones most commonly found in the grocery store. Unless you are lucky enough to have persimmon trees in your backyard, you'll likely need to get them from a farmer's market or specialty grocery store.
Fuyu persimmons are short, a bit squat, and bright orange. They're eaten when ripe and firm - unlike Hachiya persimmons, which are eaten when they are almost mushy. Hachiya persimmons are elongated and have a shorter season than Fuyus.
Fuyu persimmons are in season from early October to late December. Hachiya persimmons are in season in November and December. If you're lucky, you might find some in January as well!
You'll use Fuyu persimmons in this recipe because they can be cut into sections and stand up well in a salad. They're perfect for eating raw.
If you have some Hachiya persimmons, use them in baked goods, like this persimmon bread.
More Seasonal Salad Recipes
If you like this recipe, check out some of our other salads for winter and fall.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos or leave us a rating.
Persimmon Salad
This delicious kale and fruit salad with persimmons and pear is a wonderful side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 head Lacinato kale
- 3 Fuyu persimmons
- 1 Red Anjou pear*
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the kale leaves from the stem. Roll a few leaves together and cut them into very thin, long strips. Place the slivered kale in a mixing bowl. Top with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and massage it into the kale. Let the kale rest while preparing the rest of the salad.
- Prepare your fruit by slicing the persimmons into ⅛ inch slices, then quarter those. Cut the pear into smaller pieces.
- Toss the persimmons, pear, goat cheese almonds, and pepitas with the kale.
- Whisk together the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the kale salad and toss to combine.
- Plate on a large serving platter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 636mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 7gSugar: 19gProtein: 6g
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