Roasting radicchio until slightly charred is the best way to enjoy radicchio. This persimmon salad is paired with roasted radicchio drizzled with a mix of balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses, then topped with pistachios, goat cheese, and pickled mustard seeds.
Why This Recipe Works
Roasting the radicchio softens its bitter flavor while still allowing its flavor to shine in this wonderfully Fall salad. Drizzled with a mix of sweetness from the balsamic and pomegranate molasses, then topped with pistachios for crunch, goat cheese for tanginess, and pickled mustard seeds. The flavor profile in this salad is amazing, and I don’t say that lightly!
The dressing makes the salad sing: it uses pomegranate molasses which is a syrup made from pomegranates with a distinct sweet and sour flavor which adds another level of depth to the balsamic vinegar.
This time of year I love to put persimmons in everything and this persimmon salad highlights the fruit in a way that celebrates the greatness of Fall produce.
Ingredients & Substitutions
persimmon - the two varieties of persimmon that you usually find at the grocery store in the Fall are Fuyu and Hachiya. This recipe uses Fuyu, the ones that are flatter.
radicchio - a part of the chicory family, this wonderful, vine-red variety has a bitter flavor. Although it is delicious in all it's bitterness, this recipe roasts the radicchio, mellowing the bitter flavor.
pickled mustard seeds - if you can't find them at the grocery store you can make your own using this recipe! Or you can substitute by adding ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the dressing.
pomegranate molasses - if you can't find it at your local store, you will be able to find it at a middle eastern market or shop it here on Amazon.
pistachios - I use roasted, salted pistachios in this recipe and therefore do not add any additional salt.
How to Make this Persimmon Salad
Preheat the oven to 450F for the roasted radicchio. While you wait, mix together 2 teaspoons each of balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses to make the dressing.
Drizzle the 8 radicchio quarters with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 10 minutes. Then, drizzle with the dressing and roast an additional 5 minutes.
Dress the roasted radicchio with 1 tablespoon of pickled mustard seeds, 2 tablespoons of chopped pistachios, 2 oz. goat cheese (optional), and fresh cracked pepper.
Persimmon FAQs
They have tannins that make your mouth feel fuzzy. These tannins are actually natural anti-oxidants and considered healthy.
Yes. The skin is thin and edible. Some people prefer to peel them before eating.
Persimmon & Fall Recipes
If you love this persimmon salad, be sure to check out all my Fall recipes, and here are some other persimmon & Fall favorites:
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Roasted Radicchio & Persimmon Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 fuyu persimmon cut in half and then thin slices
- 2 radicchio quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses see notes for store-bought
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pickled mustard seeds or mix ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard into the dressing.
- 2 tablespoon chopped pistachios
- 2 oz. goat cheese optional
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Mix together the balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses to make the dressing.
- Drizzle the radicchio with the olive oil and roast for 10 minutes. Then, drizzle with the dressing and roast an additional 5 minutes.
- Dress the roasted radicchio with the pickled mustard seeds, chopped pistachios, goat cheese, and fresh cracked pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December of 2017 but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips in November of 2020.
Suzanne
This salad was a huge hit at our holiday table last year, I can't wait to share it again! Every flavor is well thought out and appreciated, especially the pickled mustard seeds and balsamic glaze. It's one of those salads that's so good, it feels like it's not a salad at all.
Candice
I'm so glad you liked it, Suzanne! It's a pretty decadent one because it gets so sweet from the roasting and balsamic... thank you for taking the time to share!
Margaret M
Yummy yummy! Made a few alterations to suite my taste by adding some wedges of grilled red cabbage. Didn't have enough goat cheese, so I added small mozzarella bites, too. This will be a welcome addition to my menus. Thank you!
Candice
Sounds so good, Margaret... I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing!
Margaret M
I have a load of Fuyu persimmons and found this recipe when I searched online for what to do with them. This recipe looks delicious. I made the mustard seed caviar last night. Will be making this for dinner as well, but I'm using both red cabbage and radicchio because I haven't cared much for the strong bitterness in raw radiccho. I'm hoping to learn to love a new veg. Thank you for this recipe.
Candice
Can't wait to hear how it goes, Margaret!