Persimmon Pomegranate Salad with Maple Walnuts

Add a festive touch to your winter salad with bright and colourful persimmons, pomegranates and apples. Top it off with slivers of cheese and maple-glazed walnuts. 

Amid all the holiday baking and party prep over the next few weeks, we need something green! This Persimmon Pomegranate Salad is bright, colourful and will add a festive touch to your winter lunch or dinner salads.

Persimmons are something new to me.  I discovered them during our recent trip to Spain when I picked up a few at a Lidl supermarket. I had no idea how to eat one. Do I peel it?  Bite into it like an apple? Slice it? I quartered one, ate it, loved it, and I went back for more. A ripe persimmon is firm, but sweet and has a texture similar to a cross between a mango and an apple.  Delicious! No need to peel.

I’ve since learned that there are two types of persimmons, and the one I had, the Fuyu, is the one most commonly found here in North America, as it is grown in California. It looks almost like an orange tomato, with a slightly thicker skin.

The other variety, the Hachiya, must be eaten when it is very ripe, or it will taste horrible. Persimmons are generally available from October through January, making them an ideal fruit to dress up a winter salad.

This simple but wholesome Persimmon Pomegranate Salad begins with a bed of fresh field greens, (or greens of your choice). Top it with very thinly sliced cucumber, apple, and persimmon, then add a sprinkle of pomegranate arils (for the pretty factor.) Shavings of Manchego cheese and a handful of maple-glazed walnuts adds protein. Drizzle it all with Honey-Dijon dressing and dig right in!

Adding fruit to salads is one of my favourite ways to dress up a winter meal.  Using seasonal fruits and winter vegetables and adding cheese and nuts often results in exciting creations. 

We’ve had this Fennel Apple Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Spice Pecans on repeat this fall! Try one or more of these 6 Tasty Healthy Winter Salads if you’re looking for more salad inspiration.

And if you’re looking for more ways to enjoy persimmons, try these one-bite, pop-in-your-mouth easy appetizers:  Persimmon Prosciutto Cheese Bites.

5 from 2 votes

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Persimmon Pomegranate Salad with Maple Walnuts

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

Add a festive touch to your winter salad with bright and colourful persimmons, pomegranates and apples. Top it off with slivers of cheese and maple-glazed walnuts. 

Course: Salads and Dressings

Cuisine: Canadian, American

Servings: 2

Calories per serving: 473 kcal

Author: Flavour & Savour

Ingredients

• 4 cups field greens
• 1 persimmon, thinly sliced
• 1 medium apple, thinly sliced
• 1/4 long English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/2 cup maple glazed walnuts
• 1/2 cup Manchego cheese, shaved or slivered

Honey Dijon Dressing

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside to allow flavours to blend.

2. Heat a small skillet and add 1/2 cup walnuts. When just beginning to brown and become fragrant, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Cook for a minute or so, then remove to a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool.

3. Arrange greens on a plate, in a bowl or on a platter. Top with thinly sliced persimmon, cucumber, apple, and cheese. Add pomegranate arils and maple-glazed walnuts. Drizzle with Honey Dijon dressing and serve.

Recipe Notes

To make maple-glazed walnuts, see the recipe here or follow these simple instructions:

1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
2. Add 1/2 cup walnuts and 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and cook, stirring occasionally until walnuts are toasted and syrup has caramelized, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of smoked sea salt, if desired.

Items I used to make this Persimmon Pomegranate Salad:

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