Persimmon Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts

By David Tanis

Persimmon Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(452)
Comments
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Persimmons make a colorful cool weather salad, combined with dark red Treviso and radicchio leaves and glistening ruby-like pomegranate seeds. Walnut oil and shallots give the vinaigrette an earthy flavor, accentuated by caramelized walnuts with sea salt. You need the small apple-size Fuyu persimmons, which are delicious eaten raw. (The pointy Hachiya persimmons need to ripen to softness and are usually cooked for cakes or puddings.) Make this throughout the fall and winter. If persimmons are unavailable use pears, Asian pears or crisp tart apples.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2ounces walnuts, about ½ cup
  • 2tablespoons sugar
  • ½teaspoon fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt, crumbled
  • 1shallot, finely sliced
  • 2tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3tablespoons walnut oil
  • 3medium Fuyu persimmons, peeled
  • 8ounces radicchio, Treviso or other chicory leaves
  • ½cup pomegranate seeds
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

183 calories; 13 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 233 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the sugared walnuts: Line a baking sheet with parchment. Put walnuts in a small bowl. Pour very hot water over walnuts for 1 minute, then drain. Add sugar and fleur de sel. Mix to coat nuts evenly, then spread them on the parchment. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until crisp and caramelized. Cool, then break walnuts apart. (May be prepared up to 5 days ahead; store in the cupboard in an airtight container.)

  2. Step 3

    Core and cut persimmons into ½-inch-thick wedges and transfer to a low, wide salad bowl. Salt persimmons lightly, then dress with vinaigrette. Add radicchio leaves and gently toss with hands to coat leaves, pulling persimmon pieces to the top. Scatter pomegranate seeds over the top, along with any collected juices. Garnish with sugared walnuts and serve.

  3. Make the Vinaigrette

    1. Step 2

      Put shallots in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and the sherry vinegar. Let mixture steep for 10 minutes. Whisk in walnut oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
452 user ratings
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Comments

mrs adamsmom

I have made this at least 6 - 7 times, two years in a row for a large Thanksgiving gathering and plan to bring it again this year. It is beautiful, delicious, and is an especially nice treat for the vegetarians in the crowd. Followed recipe exactly, occasionally adding arugula. Every last morsel gets eaten every time. For the cost conscious: the first time I made it, I paid $3 each for the Fuyu Persimmons at the local supermarket. Costco has them by the dozen for under $10. Highly recommend!

Jim K

Consider adding blue cheese. Makes a great salad even better!

ken kalfus

After making this several times, I’ve decided that nothing is gained and much is lost tribe to skin a persimmon.

A Cook

Delicious, but note that it takes way longer than 30 minutes to prepare. Will all the little steps, took closer to an hour and a half.

Linda

Used what they had at my market: radiccio and endive. Rough chopped in one inch ribbons. My family isn't wild about walnuts so i used slivered almonds which I browned in butter and then sprinkled with sugar. Laid them on aluminum foil to dry out and then tossed in. Delicious! Everyone loved this salad! Perfect T'viging salad!

dimmerswitch

Able to get Fuyu and pomegranates both in market now to do a dry run for this salad in advance of Thanksgiving. It will definitely be on the Thanksgiving table. Crisp, fresh, bitter, sweet, acid as all good addition. I mixed the chicories (used escarole, radicchio and Belgian endive). Swapped in EVOO for walnut oil given as much as I love walnuts, the oil not so much. If you can't find pomegranates for seeds, I think tart dried cherries could work too.

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