Persimmon Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
I was inspired to make this persimmon harvest salad with maple vinaigrette after watching a recent episode of House Hunters International.
Persimmon Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
Do any of you watch that show? It’s me and my sister’s favorite “reality tv” show. My sister will often come over just to watch the latest episodes with me; our favorite episodes to watch are the ones where they travel to France (obviously).
On one of the more recent episodes, there was a woman who was moving with her family from Iowa to France. Once they arrived, they visited a French farmer’s market and found themselves in for some culture shock.
They were amazed at all the fruits and vegetables that were available, and they were particularly confused over a batch of persimmons. They didn’t know they were actually persimmons, and instead thought they were some kind of odd tomato.
I absolute love persimmons, so watching that episode inspired me to create this salad so that persimmons become a regular on your grocery list during this time of the year.
If you’ve never had a persimmon, you’re in for a delightful surprise. There are two common types: fuyu and hachiya. Fuyu persimmons are quite hard and crisp, like an apple. A hachiya persimmon should be extremely soft and juicy like a plum.
It’s important to know the difference because if you pick up a hard hachiya persimmon and assume it’s a fuyu persimmon, you’re in for an unpleasant experience. Eating an unripe persimmon is like eating a cotton ball, but worse.
It’ll immediately dry your mouth and make you desperate to spit the fruit out. So, just pay attention when you’re picking out the persimmon and make sure you’re getting the right type!
Because fuyu persimmons are so much like apples in their texture, you can understand why they’d make for a great salad ingredient. I like that fuyu persimmons are sweet but not overwhelmingly so. They also add gorgeous color to the leafy greens here, and they pair well with the sweet and tart cranberries that are mixed in too.
Another favorite addition to this salad are the spiced pumpkin seeds I tossed in. You can buy those at Trader Joe’s or make your own. They add a little bit of crunch to the salad while adding some of our favorite fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Perhaps the most appealing part of this salad, however, is the maple vinaigrette. It’s a simple 4-ingredient vinaigrette, and it’s absolute magic on this salad. Actually, I think it’s pretty much amazing on any fall salad. It’s made with maple syrup, mayo, olive oil, and white wine vinegar, and it’ll rock your world.
This salad has become my go-to salad this season, and I think it will become yours as well.
Persimmon Harvest Salad
A delicious fall salad made with seasonal persimmon, tart cranberries, and an irresistible maple vinaigrette.
Ingredients
for the salad
- 5 oz herb salad mix
- 2 fuyu persimmon, peeled and cut into slices
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, see note
for the dressing
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp to 1 1/2 white wine vinegar, to taste
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl; set aside. To create the dressing, simply whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Evenly drizzle half the dressing all over the salad. Toss the salad and assess how much more dressing you’d like to add.
Notes
I use Trader Joe’s pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, but you can use plain pumpkin seeds or make your own spiced version.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 288
What a fabulous looking salad! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
Thank you for visiting the blog, Erin! I really appreciate it <3 I’ve got my fingers crossed for you! 🙂
I love this post. There are so many "abnormal" (rather less common) fruits and vegetables out there. My mom loves persimmons, but I’m finicky about them. I LOVE persimmon bread (need to make some this season), but I don’t like them fresh if they’re too ripe – just too sweet for me. I love the idea of them in a salad though. Yum!!
Thank you, Luci! It’s crazy how many different fruits and veggies there are, huh? I have actually never had a persimmon bread but that is a fantastic idea – I will have to give it a go. And if you’re not a fan of their crazy sweetness, then I think you’ll really enjoy the fuyu variety because they’re mildly sweet 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and leaving some love <3
What a delicious and gorgeous salad, Beeta. I always put nuts or seeds in my salads so I appreciate the pumpkin seeds. I’ve never had a persimmon. I don’t know why, but it just hasn’t happened yet. Thank you for the nudge and your description! I’m looking forward to it and that tangy, creamy dressing. Thank you for such a generous giveaway too! How fun! Fingers crossed!
Thank you, Traci! To have you compliment my salad means a lot since you are the queen of salads! You always make me crave salad when I visit your blog! :p Thanks so much for leaving such kind words and for supporting my blog. <3 XO
Beeta, this salad (and photography) are just stunning! I love it! It’s been years since I’ve had persimmon. Funnily enough, the last time I had either type was when I was introducing my daughter to new foods when she was younger. (Not many parents expose their kids to foods like persimmon, I know). I must make this salad for myself – and soon!
You rock, Amanda! Exposing your little girl to a variety of foods is the best thing you can do, in my opinion. That’s how kids grow into open-minded, non-finicky eaters 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try this salad! Lots of love <3
Truly gorgeous salad Beeta! You can just feel your insides thanking you for such a colourful and nourishing dish. Always loving your gorgeous giveaway – wish I lived in the US! xx
Thank you so much Jess! I promise to create a giveaway that readers abroad can enter as well! Maybe once I’m in Paris 😉
Oh Beeta.. This salad looks so SO beautiful. I have never used persimmon before, but pinned this one to give it a try as soon as we move back.
And usually I do not fill out any giveaways but this one I did. I will also share it with my followers so that it will get noticed by more people.
I do watch that show time to time and I love it. Though my favorite episodes are usually in Canada. 🙂
Thank you, Aysegul! I appreciate you being so supportive and spreading the word – thank you for being such an amazing reader! I love reading your comments and following your work. The Canadian episodes are great too – Canadians actually have so much talented designers so the homes always look so great. XO
I love HHI, being from Europe I always laugh at Americans and their weird perception of size – everything is too small for them (unless they’re from NY). I love persimons, but I never tried the hard one, I grew up with the softer ones and only recently discovered the other kind. This salad looks delicious.
Ohh I feel so embarrassed as an American when I watch their silly demands lol. And I actually grew up eating the softer persimmons too! But they can be super sweet so I like using these firmer ones for salads. Thanks so much for your kind comment <3
Such a gorgeous salad Beeta! I’ve never tried a persimmon, how crazy is that?! The straight lines in the middle of the fruit really intrigue me (if you know what I’m talking about… haha) (and devo that I don’t live in the U.S. because I want all of the French goodies for myself! :P)
I totally believe it because persimmons are actually not the most common thing in the grocery store. I think you would really like it though! I can imagine you making a gorgeous loaf of bread with them because you’re awesome like that. Thanks so much, Hannah! <3