Persimmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Oranges
This Persimmon Salad features the delicious persimmon fruit plus fresh oranges, goat cheese, and a balsamic dressing. It’s a flavorful recipe that’s perfect for the fall and winter months!
I’d never had a persimmon until a few years ago.
My husband’s family introduced me to this delicious, and uncommon fruit. Persimmons may be tricky to find, but you’ll be willing to search high and low for them to make this salad!
This recipe works because it:
- Uses winter produce. Fresh fruit and greens can be hard to come by in the cold fall and winter months, but this salad uses ingredients that are easily found in the grocery store.
- Can be customized. Switch out a few ingredients for what you have on hand to make this salad an easy way to use up leftovers.
- Is great for a crowd. This makes a large bowl of salad that will easily feed a dinner party.
- Is absolutely delicious! The sweet persimmons pair perfectly with the citrus and vinegar flavors found in this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of fresh orange juice, and salt and pepper to a small canning jar. Cover and shake well. Taste the dressing and add more ingredients to achieve desired flavor.
Slice the tops off 2 persimmons and peel 2 oranges. Slice the persimmons and oranges into thin wedges.
Add 10 ounces of baby spring mix to a large salad bowl and add half of the balsamic dressing. Toss gently. Add the rest of the dressing and toss again, making sure to coat all of the greens.
Top the salad with the persimmons, oranges, 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, 4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese, and 1/4 cup of sliced almonds. Drizzle with additional honey if desired.
Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
If you’ve never had a persimmon before, you’re in for a treat! Persimmons are technically a berry and are in season from October to February. They have a deliciously sweet flavor, almost like honey, and are similar to an apricot.
The dressing for this salad can really be adjusted based on your taste. If you’d like it sweeter, add in more honey. If you’d like it to be tart, add in more vinegar. If you’d like it to taste richer, add in more olive oil.
This salad would also taste delicious with these mix-ins:
- Sliced apples
- Walnuts
- Feta cheese
- Pomegranate seeds
- Pecans
- Sliced pears
- Blue cheese
If you’re making this salad beforehand, don’t add the dressing until right before serving so the produce stays crisp.
Try these substitutes if you’re out of the ingredients:
More Like This
Looking for more delicious salad recipes? You’ll love these!
- Winter Green Salad with Pomegranate
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Cilantro Chickpea Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad with Pasta
- BLT Salad with Avocado
- Sweet Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
FAQs
While your local grocery may not carry persimmons, you should be able to find some at farmer’s markets, specialty stores, or even club stores.
I got my persimmons at Sprout’s, and I’ve also seen them sold at Costco. You can call any store you think may carry them to double-check.
You’ll want to cut the green leafy top of the persimmon first. Then you can either cut it into wedges like an apple. Or, you can slice it horizontally to show off the beautiful star pattern in the center.
Yes! Persimmons can be eaten with the skin on. It’s tougher than apple skin, but still perfectly edible.
If you find the skin to be too tough, you can peel it off before slicing it for the salad.
A persimmon is ripe when it has a deep red-orange color and is slightly squishy. You don’t want a persimmon to be firm or it will taste bitter.
And unlike most fruits, a persimmon will still taste good if it’s become extra squishy.
I hope your family loves this persimmon salad! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
Persimmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Oranges
Ingredients
Balsamic Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice, fresh
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad
- 2 persimmons
- 2 oranges
- 10 ounces baby spring mix
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, fresh orange juice, and salt and pepper to a small canning jar. Cover and shake well. Taste the dressing and add more ingredients to achieve desired flavor.
- Slice the tops off persimmons and peel oranges. Slice the persimmons and oranges into thin wedges.
- Add baby spring mix to a large salad bowl and add half of the balsamic dressing. Toss gently. Add the rest of the dressing and toss again, making sure to coat all of the greens.
- Top the salad with the persimmons, oranges, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, and sliced almonds. Drizzle the salad with additional honey, if desired.
