winter persimmon and pomegranate salad with maple candied pecans
A Christmas dinner ain’t a Christmas dinner without a big, hearty salad to counteract all the cookies from the night before. This beautiful spread sits like a jewel atop your table, with bright ruby-like pomegranates and crunchy, sweet candied pecans over a sea of crisp greens. My kind of side dish.
Persimmons are a newcomer in my household. I’ll say, after a few samplings of the little fruit, that they’re quite underrated as a winter produce. Slightly sweet but not overwhelming, soft and smooth in texture. I’ve been swiping them on all my grocery trips since I know their season is limited and much of the year they don’t occupy the shelves.
My constant persimmon hoarding, then, had to yield a big mass of greens sometime around the holidays. This Winter Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad rings in the festive meal with tons of lip-licking flavor and minimal time required. In fact, it can be prepared a day or two beforehand if you find yourself less than enthused about a full day in the kitchen after all the Thanksgiving bonanzaing last month.
Candyman
Anyone else see that word and immediately get the Christina Aguilera song from way back when in their head?
Do kids even know who Christina Aguilera is anymore? Fun fact: I used to aggressively envy her hair and makeup and tried emulating it. Unsuccessfully. Mostly because I’m not blonde and look horrible as such.
Allot some time to make the candied pecans. These you can whip up a few days before and use any left from the salad for a cheeseboard. Whisk together an egg white (the binder for the sauce), maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss in the pecans, roast for awhile, and let dry on the baking sheet until completely room temperature. You can piddle around as they cool by making the rest of the salad, wrapping presents, mopping up a spill, scrubbing your tub, taking a shower, going for a walk, hanging ornaments, drinking hot chocolate, drinking water, drinking wine….
I’ll stop now.
All Dressed Up But Nowhere To Go Because I’m Antisocial
So I stay home and laugh alone with salad.
Next, make up the quick maple dijon dressing. This is a mainstay for any casual salad I make and pairs well with these flavors sans overpowering anything. Just olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
I use kale in many a wintertime spread, so for this salad I plop the kale and some arugula on a platter and massage in a bit of the dressing to break up the kale’s fibrous toughness. You don’t need to do this if you’ve chosen baby kale, spinach, or other greens, but kale holds up to a bit of moisture really well and the quick Swedish massage softens the bite significantly.
Once your greens are nicely coated, or simply laid out on a serving dish, assemble the rest of the salad. Sliced persimmons, pomegranate, some candied pecans, and a touch of shaved parmesan. Set the dressing out in a nice dish or bowl for guests to add as desired.
As I mentioned, you can easily prepare this salad ahead of time with a few simple tweaks. Leave the pecans separated and don’t toss any of the greens in dressing. Cover the assembled greens, persimmon, pomegranate, and parmesan and store in the fridge. Once you’re ready to eat, add the pecans and dressing.
If you don’t have pecans on hand, walnuts work just as well.
If you’re leaning vegan or serving someone who is, omit the cheese and the egg white from the candied pecans.
Accompanying dishes? How about some Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash with Pomegranate Honey, and a big bowl of Smoky Red Pepper Pasta. For bread, some Brown Butter Rosemary Biscuits. Or, keep an eye out for my upcoming Christmas menu for more ideas.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 1 lb pecan halves
- 1 egg white
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling
- 6 cups mixed greens (I used kale and arugula)
- 2 persimmons, quartered and sliced
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
maple dijon vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss the pecans in the mixture and spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet. Then, break apart any large clumps of pecans.
- To make the vinaigrette, add the olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic clove, turmeric, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a jar. Shake vigorously until combined.
- Set the greens on a large serving dish in bowl. Toss with a couple tablespoons of the dressing, massaging the kale (if using) to break up the toughness. Arrange the sliced persimmons overtop, then sprinkle with pomegranate arils, parmesan, and the candied pecans. Serve with remaining dressing.
