Kale and Persimmon Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

This kale and persimmon salad with dijon vinaigrette is perfect for holiday meals! Chopped kale leaves are massaged until nice and soft before being tossed with slices of persimmon, toasted pecans, tart dried cherries, and a dijon vinaigrette. This vegan and gluten free salad make a great autumn or winter side dish when persimmons and kale overlap in season!

I know kale salad is sometimes either a hate it or love it situation. My question to the haters is, “but have you tried massaging it first?!”. Kale is a cooler season leafy green and can withstand freezing temps which means it’s hearty, fibrous, and a little tough when raw. The kale in this salad is massaged beforehand to make it nice and soft (and more digestible) before being tossed with slices of sweet persimmon, toasted pecans, tart dried cherries, and a Dijon vinaigrette. The persimmon is a little unexpexted which makes it perfect for special holiday meals!

Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions

• Kale — I prefer lacinato kale for salads (also called Tuscan or dino kale) but honestly, any variety will work as long as you massage it first.
• Persimmon — I recommend using a non-astringent variety like Fuyu that is ripe when firm. If you don’t have access to persimmons, you can use sliced pear, apple, or figs here instead.
• Dried Tart Cherries — these can be a bit of a splurge so if you’re watching your budget, you can used dried cranberries instead.
• Pecans — make sure to roast them first if they’re raw! It really brings out their nutty, buttery flavor and they taste 10 times better. You can also use roasted hazelnuts or walnuts here if you prefer.

Looking for More Holiday Side Dishes?

I like to think of holiday side dishes as recipes that are flavorful but a little unexpected. I love these roasted honeynut squashes with apple fennel slaw and ricotta as a holiday side dish, especially if you want to keep the number of sides on the smaller side. The honeynut squashes are already individually portioned and I love the combination of the cozy, roasted squashes with the raw, crunchy slaw. This roasted brussels sprouts salad is another great holiday side. It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, AND it won’t wilt once you add the dressing!

Kale and Persimmon Salad

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• Author: Courtney West
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Chopped kale leaves are massaged until nice and soft before being tossed with slices of persimmon, toasted pecans, tart dried cherries, and a dijon vinaigrette. This vegan and gluten free salad make a great autumn or winter side dish when persimmons and kale overlap in season!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 bunch lacinato kale
• 1 persimmon (non-astringent variety like Fuyu)*
• 1 large handful dried tart cherries
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans
• sea salt
• juice of 1 small lemon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
• pepper

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Instructions

Remove the stems from your kale and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Add them to a bowl and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of the leaves. Massage the salt into the kale until it softens and begins to glisten. Let the kale sit aside while you prep your other items.

Thinly slice your persimmon and add it to the kale. Roughly chop the dried cherries and pecans and add them to the kale as well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, and honey. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper and whisk it into the dressing. Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste the salad then add more dressing or salt and pepper as needed.

Makes 4 side servings.

Notes

• *non-astringent persimmon varieties are ripe when still firm and are typically squat in shape. The most common non-astringent variety in stores and markets is “Fuyu”.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Category: salad