Persimmon Salad with Honey Pistachios is as delicious as it is beautiful! With blue cheese, creamy balsamic dressing, and cranberries in the mix, this colorful dish is perfect for the holiday season. 
Composing a salad like this is similar to painting. The presentation is all about the colors and textures.
And the flavor is all about combining sweet and savory.
This persimmon salad is one of my favorite recipes to make during the winter, and it's especially lovely for a holiday table.
Two Common Asian Persimmon Varieties
There are two common types of Asian persimmons; Hachiya and Fuyu.
Fuyu persimmons are short and squat. They are ripe when they're firm and slightly soft to the touch. Fuyus can be peeled, sliced, or bitten into, just like an apple. They are ideal for salads.
Hachiya persimmons on the other hand, have an elongated shape, and are extremely tart if they're not absolutely, supremely ripe. When ripe, they are incredibly soft and have a silky smooth pulp inside. Hachiyas are typically used for baking, not eating on their own.
What do persimmons taste like?
The flavor of persimmons is a bit reminiscent of pumpkin and mango, with subtle notes of honey.
Can you eat persimmon skin?
The short answer is yes, you can eat persimmon skin.
Personally, I prefer to peel them. While the skin is not too tough, it's not as thin or soft as the skin of an apple. This is just a matter of taste.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- I wouldn't try to use Hachiyas in this persimmon salad. Remember, these are best for using their pulp in baking, only when they're super soft -- way too soft to slice. In addition to Fuyus, there are a couple less common persimmon varieties that you can use; Cinnamon persimmons and Sweet Pumpkin persimmons.
- If you would like to use nuts other than pistachios, spiced pecans or walnuts would be delicious with the honey. (I love the pistachios because the green is so pretty and festive -- not to mention they're super tasty.)
- I really like slicing the persimmons horizontally to show off their beautiful inner pattern, but they can be sliced in wedges as well. Either way, I prefer them peeled.
- There's a light sprinkle of cayenne on the honey pistachios. Omit this if you don't want the bit of heat.
Enjoy, and I hope you love this persimmon salad as much as my family and I do.
More recipes with persimmons you’ll love:
- Persimmon Gingerbread
- Persimmon Bacon Baked Brie
- Spiced Apple Persimmon Cake
- Winter Persimmon Salad with Udon Noodles
- Persimmon Apple Crumble with Rum Sauce
Persimmon Salad with Honey Pistachios
Persimmon Salad with Honey Pistachios is as delicious as it is beautiful! With blue cheese, creamy balsamic dressing, and cranberries in the mix, this colorful dish is perfect for the holiday season.
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- about 2 Fuyu persimmons, (peeled and thinly sliced )
- about 6 ounces mixed baby greens, (washed and dried)
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pistachios
- honey
- cayenne pepper
For the dressing
-
Mix the ingredients together. Add all of the ingredients to a small jar, screw the lid on tightly and shake. Or, add everything except the oil to a small bowl and then whisk in the oil gradually. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's how.) Set aside. You will likely have more dressing than you will need. Save it for your next salad.
For the salad
-
Combine all of the ingredients. In a large mixing or serving bowl, combine the greens with the red onion, blue cheese, cranberries and sliced persimmons. Place the pistachios on a plate, drizzle them with honey and sprinkle them with a touch of cayenne pepper. Add them to the salad and mix.
-
Dress the salad. Add the desired amount of dressing, toss and serve.
Calorie count is only an estimate.
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Christina Conte
What a great use of persimmons! I never have thought to use them in a salad, but it's a brilliant idea! Their color looks lovely in the salad, too! 🙂
valentina
Thank you, Christina! Yes, they're so pretty. 🙂 ~Valentina
angiesrecipes
It's one of my favourite winter salads. Yours looks so colourful, pretty and yummy.
valentina
Thanks, Angie! I love how colorful it is, too. Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Liz
You definitely know how to compose a salad! This one is stunning and perfect for the holidays!!
valentina
Thank you so much, Liz! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
I’m still not seeing persimmons in the market here. I’m headed to Trader Joe’s tomorrow morning, and will look. I am determined that this is the year that I will try persimmons for the first time! (Having a bite of someone’s persimmon cookie 40 years ago doesn’t count…)
valentina
Just read in you other comment that you found them. Yay! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Gerlinde
A wonderful salad that I will make sometime this week. I am so lucky to have friends who have persimmon trees.
Eha Carr
Thought I was ignorant ! Thought I was stupid ! Why did I not remember buying and eating persimmons ? Mr Google just smiled . . . persimmon production in Australia produces less than 1% of our total fruit . . . the more 'edible' sweeter variety only arrived in this country in the late 1970s !!! With all the gorgeous year-long tropical fruit available we do not as yet seem to have advanced our curiosity . . . sad 'cause love the sound of this . . . perchance shall find a few at a future farmers' market . . . 🙂 !
valentina
I do hope you might see them at the Farmers market. On the other hand, Australia has my favorite Keitt mangoes! 😀 ~Valentina
Frank
You're right, your persimmon salad really is just like a painting. Quite lovely indeed.
I do have to say, though, that I enjoy eating Hachiya persimmons on their own. The real problem, where we live at least, as you can never get ones that are ripe enough, and they don't seem to ripen no matter how long you leave it. Picked too early, I suspect. So it's usually Fuyus at our place.
valentina
Thanks, Frank. I had a couple of Hachiyas that took almost two weeks to become soft enough. I almost gave up and I'm so glad I waited. They were indeed SO delicious! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
I always look forward to seeing persimmons in the market. I love nothing more than to bring one home and enjoy it as a snack. But making it into the centerpiece of such a gorgeous salad - yes please!
valentina
I love eating them like apples, too. A perfect snack. And I'm so happy that both of my boys like them, too. Thanks so much, Jeff. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
We’ve just discovered this year how delicious raw persimmons are. We received several in our farm share and, in the farm newsletter, they encouraged us to enjoy them raw. What a revelation! Tangy, floral a d delicious. What a beautiful, festive salad this is for the holidays, Valentina. We’ll be adding it to the menu!
valentina
So great persimmons were in your farm share! I'm so happy you like them. I can't get enough! 🙂 ~Valentina
Gerlinde de Broekert
I made this salad tonight and it was delicious, I modified it just a little bit . Thank you for the recipe.
valentina
Thanks so much, Gerlinde! You made my day. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
I always learn something when I stop by your site, Valentina! I must say that persimmons are not something I've used very often. However, with that said, this salad sounds absolutely amazing. I have the glazed pistachios and blue cheese in here. I'm totally going to keep an eye out for persimmons at our store - I have no idea if they'll show up, but if they do, then they're going in my cart!
valentina
Thanks, David. Hope persimmons pop up at your market! Enjoy them if the do. Happy holiday season. 🙂 ~Valentina