Roasted Persimmon Salad

Oh, persimmons- those fun little winter-ripe fruits that have most people stumped as to what on earth they are on a charcuterie board. Little known here in the US, they are one of my favorite winter treats. And while they are delicious raw, my favorite way to eat them is roasted! So when I picked up an entire flat of persimmons when they showed up in grocery stores- I knew I had to play around with them. With a few ingredients that I had stocked in the fridge, I pulled together a roasted persimmon salad that is both elegant and easy and is sure to make a splash on any holiday table.

Now, persimmons come in two main varieties- the acorn shaped Hachiya that need to be fully ripened and almost the texture of goo before they are sweet enough to eat, and the more squatty UFO-esque Fuyu persimmon that are incredible while still firm. I used the latter to roast as they hold their shape and texture even through the heat!

Roasted Persimmon Salad Ingredients

4 Fuyu Persimmons
4 Cups Spinach
2 Cups Chanterelle Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Cup Goat Cheese
1 Bunch Fresh Sage
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Sea Salt (I used black Hawaiian Salt for color)

Roasted Persimmon Salad Instructions

1 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2 Remove the stem and bottom of your persimmons. Then uniformly slice into 1/4 inch rounds. If your knife skills aren’t the best (like mine aren’t!) I highly recommend using a mandolin! (This is the one I use.)
3 Place persimmon rounds on a lined baking sheet (I use these reusable silicone sheets, but you can use parchment paper), drizzle with olive oil, and add a sage leaf on top of each round.

4 Pop the persimmon sheets into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until tender and starting to brown.
5 While the persimmons are in the oven add a splash of olive oil to a frying pan on medium heat and add minced garlic. Allow garlic to start to brown and then add sliced mushrooms.
6 Stir frequently and allow the mushrooms to reduce and become tender.

7 Line your serving vessel with spinach in an even layer.
8 Remove the persimmons from the oven and layer on top of spinach while still warm, allowing the spinach to slightly wilt. Top the persimmons with mushrooms, sprinkle on goat cheese, add another drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with fresh sage and sea salt.

9 Enjoy! This salad is best served while the persimmons are warm (so the spinach retains its texture) but I have definitely enjoyed cold leftovers!

Winter brings out some of my favorite fruits (looking at you pomegranate!) so I love adding their fresh color and bright taste into the more earthy tastes and textures of lots of winter’s produce. Pairing sweet fruit with the more bold flavors of mushrooms and root vegetables creates wonderful flavor combinations that make cooking fun (like this roasted persimmon salad), even when gardening season for most of us is over!