Persimmon Salad

5 from 1 vote

This persimmon salad tosses crisp Fuyu persimmons with peppery arugula, toasted pecans, creamy avocado, and lemony red onion in a simple orange dressing. A fresh fall and winter salad that's ready in just 20 minutes!

Prep Time20

Cook Time0

Total Time20

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

1 small red onion very thinly sliced
1 lemon juiced
1 pinch salt
3 ripe Fuyu persimmons sliced into wedges
¼ cup (28 g) pecans
1 orange juiced
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups (40 g) arugula
2 avocados sliced

Instructions

In a large salad bowl, mix the onion, lemon juice, and pinch of salt. Set it aside for 10 minutes.
While the onion soaks, remove the green tops from the persimmons and slice them into bite-size wedges.
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant. Transfer them to a plate to cool.
In a small jar with a lid, add the orange juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Close the jar and shake well, or whisk in a small bowl.
After 10 minutes, move the onion and its juices to a lidded container and refrigerate. Don't wash the bowl.
Add the arugula to the same bowl and toss it in the remaining lemon and onion juices.
Top with the persimmons, pecans, avocado, and 2 Tablespoons of the red onion. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of the dressing and serve with the remaining onion and dressing on the side.

Notes

Use Fuyu or cinnamon persimmons, since both are sweet while they're still firm. Hachiya persimmons are very astringent until fully ripe, and by then they are too soft for a salad.
Customize it with your favorite greens, nuts or seeds, and add-ins. Sweeten the dressing with a little maple syrup if you like.
I haven't tested it, but a crisp apple or ripe pear should work in place of the persimmons when they are out of season.
Make the dressing and soak the onion up to 2 days ahead. Add the pecans and avocado right before serving.
Store the undressed salad and the dressing separately in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition