Every November, a box of Fuyu persimmons arrives at my doorstep. They come all the way from California, lovingly gathered from a friend’s garden by my father and then individually wrapped before being shipped to me.
This year, my father had warned me that the harvest was meager, so I was doubly excited when a large box of these sweet treasures was delivered!
Although persimmons are best known for their contribution to desserts, one of my favorite ways to eat them is in salads. Their exotic flavor and delicate sweetness balance out the bitter greens marvelously. Add to that the cayenne-spiked lime vinaigrette and every bite of this salad is refreshing and tantalizing – a pure delight for the taste buds.
Watercress and Radicchio Salad with Persimmons and Spicy Lime Vinaigrette
serves 4
active time: 15 min
For the vinaigrette
- 1/4 teaspoon lime zest (use microplane grater)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
For the salad
- 2 bunches hydroponic watercress – stems trimmed, rinsed and spun dry (regular watercress or baby arugula are good substitutes)
- 1 medium radicchio (8 oz) (227gr) – leaves torn in 2” pieces
- 2 large, ripe but still firm Fuyu persimmons – peeled and cut in 1/2″ cubes
- 1/4 cup roasted, salted cashew pieces
- freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk the zest, lime juice, oil, honey, cayenne and salt until well blended and set aside.
- Step 2: Place the watercress and radicchio in a large mixing bowl. Add two thirds of the vinaigrette and toss until all the leaves are well coated. Place the greens in individual salad bowls or in a large serving bowl. Garnish with the persimmons and cashews. Drizzle the balance of the vinaigrette over the fruit. Finish with ground white pepper and serve.
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Disclaimer: As always, my point of view is my own. I do not accept samples, and have no commercial relationship with any product, food or wine company.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I adore persimmons, and the salad sounds terrific with the combination of flavours. Beautiful!
Viviane, I grew up in California and I can honestly say I don’t remember seeing these beautiful persimmons where we lived. They look delicious so I’m going to try and find some. Thank you for this recipe!
I have a my very first persimmon waiting for me at home, I am so excited! This sounds delicious, I bet the fruit gives such a bright accent to the crispy salad :)
What a beautiful salad Viviane. I love to try new salads cause the same old greens can get boring after a while so I really want to make this one. It sounds delicious!
Hi Viviene – your salad sounds terrific. We are persimmon fans. The Korean market where I shop is bursting with them. I think I will give your salad a try.
LL
Thank you for your lovely comments everyone – so very glad you all love this treasured fruit!
I love persimmons just the way they are and have also baked with them. However I have never thought to add them to a salad. I can see now how they would be complementary to other bitter greens and radicchio. I especially like the dressing that you prepared with your salad. Will have to give this a try.
Thank you so much Jean! I think you’ll adore the sweetness of the persimmons in this savory salad.
What a stunning salad! I’ve seen persimmons lately in the markets…and I need to buy one and try out your recipe :)
Viviane! This is like a culinary life raft as I’m floating adrift in the holiday sea of sweets! Always so fun when it begins but by now I’m generally hoping to never see anything with the taste of peppermint again and craving exactly what you’ve served up here. I love the seasonal flair with the persimmons and greens, the greens, the greens! You have such genius when whipping up a dish of the best the season has to offer; thank you! Toni
Toni! You are so funny and so very sweet! Thank you for your kind words… I’m delighted to offer something different here. It’s not too hard when you work with such inspiring and tantalizing subjects! Enjoy the holidays my dear.
What a stunning recipe and photo! I am new to eating persimmons….and I believe this is the tastiest presentation I’ve seen! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Ann!
This is a gorgeous salad! I made one recently with persimmons and it changed my world. I love everything about this odd little fruit, and can’t believe it took me so long to discover them.
I’m from CA and grew up on these puppies! Delicious. I never thought to put them in a salad though! Perfect. I bet they’d play nice with radishes too!
I have never in my life tasted a persimmon! I’m not even sure I would have recognized one in the supermarket. They kind of look like tomatoes. I’m almost positive I won’t be able to find them in Cayman but I’m gonna look for them because this salad looks phenom :)
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