I think this Kale & Persimmon salad is the ultimate winter side salad.
It’s super easy to throw together, made with minimal ingredients but has a fantastic taste and beautiful colour.
The green of the kale, the orange from the persimmons paired with the pink of the pomegranate looks amazing. Added to that, it is topped with some easy roasted pecans that give a great flavour and crunch.
It’s the fourth recipe in my series of Fifty Fantastic Salads. If you want to see the other three recipes, you can find them at the bottom of the page.
How to make a Kale & Persimmon Salad
This salad is super easy to make. Firstly, coat the pecans in a little olive oil and a tsp of maple syrup and bake for about 10 minutes. Whilst the pecans are cooking you can prepare the rest of the salad.
Chop the kale and add to a large serving bowl. Massage it with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt for a minute or so. Slice the persimmons and add them to the bowl. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate and sprinkle over the salad
Once the pecans are ready, add those to the bowl too. And that’s it!
Altogether, it can be on the table in about 15 minutes.
How do you massage kale? And why?
Kale can be quite tough to eat raw. By massaging it, it can make it much softer to eat.
To do this, remove the tough stems from the kale. They are too tough for the salad. My dog loves them (!) or chop them up and add them to a stew or soup.
Take the remaining leaves and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt and rub the leaves with your fingertips for a minute or two. You’ll feel the kale soften in your hands. It’s then ready to eat!
What are the key ingredients of this Kale & Persimmon Salad
- Kale
- Persimmons
- Pecans
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Pomegranate
The Nutritional Benefits of the Main Ingredients:
Kale
Known as a superfood, kale is rich in vitamins A, C, and K. It’s also an excellent source of antioxidants and fibre. The texture of kale makes a great base for salads, especially when massaged with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice to soften it.
Persimmons
Persimmons are a great autumn/winter fruit. They have a fantastic colour and a great source of both Vitamins C and A. Their taste is naturally sweet, but not overly so, and they pair really well with the crunch of the pecans.
Pecans
Pecans bring crunch and flavour but also are a great source of healthy fats, protein, as well as magnesium and zinc. Roasted with a little olive oil and maple, they taste amazing too!
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a great addition to any salad. It’s packed with monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. It also helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from the other ingredients.
Lemon
Lemon juice helps to tenderise the kale, making it more palatable and easier to digest. It adds Vitamin C too.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate seeds don’t just add colour and texture, they are rich in vitamin C, potassium, and polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants.
Storage and Shelf Life
This Kale & Persimmon Salad will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing.
Recipe Tips
Swap the pecans: If you don’t like pecans, then walnuts work very well too.
Make it a meal: This is very much a side salad. Serve it with any main dish or with your protein of choice.
Massage the kale properly: Take a few minutes to massage the kale with olive oil and lemon juice. This will breaks down the tough fibres and gives the kale a softer texture, making it more enjoyable to eat.
Choose ripe persimmons: Look for persimmons that are firm but slightly soft to the touch, with a bright orange colour.
Here are the other salads in the Fifty Fantastic Salads series:
Kale & Persimmon Salad
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup unsalted pecans (65g)
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- Bunch of kale
- Juice of a lemon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 persimmons
- Seed of half a pomegranate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
- Add the pecans to a baking tray. Add the maple syrup and ½ tbsp of the olive oil and mix to combine. Bake for about 10 mins.
- Remove the hard stems from the kale and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Add them to a large serving bowl. Pour over the lemon juice, the remaining olive oil and the sea salt. Get your hands into the bowl and massage the kale for a few minutes to soften it.
- Slice both persimmons into half-moons and remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Add both to the bowl and top with the roasted pecans.
Notes
- This will store in the fridge for about 4 days.
- The nutritional information is based up the recipe serving 6 as a side dish.
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