As we wind down the holiday season and decrease the amount of sugar and calories we eat, Pinterest and Google searches turn to healthier options. Here’s my contribution to the healthier new years’ food: a pomegranate salad filled with fruit, quinoa, greens, nuts, and – my favorite—goat cheese! It’s also the first time I’ve used persimmon in my ‘cooking.’
There are many different kinds of persimmons, including Fuyu and Hachiya, which seem to be the most common in the Northeast, as those are the types I found at my grocery store. Persimmons are a type of berry, but they can be bitter/give a weird mouthfeel if they are not perfectly ripe before you bite into one. It’s also a careful balance before the persimmon gets too ripe, soft, and turns to mush.
But, if you get the perfectly ripe Fuyu persimmon, it’s deliciously sweet. It reminded me of papaya. It filled out the salad and added to the beautiful colors. I love fruit in my salads, so I’m a fan of the persimmon and the pomegranates. Try this out and feel free to mix up the ingredients to your liking, but be sure to include the Fuyu persimmon!
Persimmon Pomegranate Pecan Salad
Try this persimmon pomegranate pecan salad out and feel free to mix up the ingredients to your liking, but be sure to include the Fuyu persimmon!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 Fuyu persimmons
- seeds of 1/2 pomegranate
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 12 oz arugula/spinach mix (Spring Mix from Trader Joe’s)
- Honey Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Follow the package instruction for heating the quinoa (1:2 ratio with water).
- Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing gently every few minutes until they give off a nice, toasted aroma and begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Slice the tops of the persimmons, then cut in quarters. Cut those quarters in half.
- To produce quarters, cut the top and bottoms of the pomegranates off, then make shallow incisions into and around the pomegranate skin, following the rules of the white membranes (meaning pierce into the white areas, not the parts with beans). Split open the pomegranate and place it in a large bowl filled with water. To avoid discoloration, use your hands to loosen the seeds while holding them under running water. Drain the seeds after removing the white pith membranes.
- Layer all the salad ingredients on the bed of arugula/spinach greens.
- Make the vinaigrette: place all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix well until combined. Pour over the salad.
- Enjoy!
