Here we are at the second course of our Thanksgiving evening and before we get to the meat of the meal let’s pause for a little salad.
I have recently fallen in love with persimmons and knew I wanted to use them in a recipe.Persimmons are a fruit that seems to be growing in popularity. I have seen more recipes and mentions of it this fall than last which can only be a sign of increasing popularity, and for good reason. The flesh of a persimmon is sweet and similar to a plum or peach. If you want to learn more about them I whipped a separate post up for you yesterday.
I also wanted to keep the recipes as close to paleo/whole 30 as I can. If you use a different dressing it will be more paleo but it is the holidays and if a little maple syrup is your guilty pleasure you are doing great. ‘Cause I know you are skipping pie right?
I love the fall color this salad gives to the table. I choose to use a red d’anjou pear for that reason as well. Salads aren’t always the most exciting or memorable dish from the meal so the pops of color add a little flair.
For you non-paleo lovers, if I were going to add anything to this salad it would be goat cheese. It would be a perfect addition to the salad and really round out all the flavors. If you are allergic to nuts try adding pomegranate seeds instead of pecans for the same nice crunch.
Thanks for joining me on day two of Blogsgiving. Come back Friday for everyone’s favorite, Dessert!
Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community is all about these things as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n’ Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. There are 20 awesome blogs sharing 52 recipes.
The idea is based on the old-fashioned progressive dinner party, in which you’d eat each course at a different guest’s home. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal. Be sure to check out today’s recipes for entrees, salads and side dishes.
We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner. Hope you can join us!
Salads
Pomegranate & Goat Cheese Salad from Feast + West
Persimmon & Pear Salad from Wit Wisdom and Food
Roasted Butternut Squash & Gorgonzola Salad from Hello Little Home
Entrees
The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey from My Cooking Spot
Roasted Turducken from The Speckled Palate
Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Orange-Cranberry Reduction from Home at Six
Beer Brined Turkey with Bacon Gravy from Cake ‘n’ Knife
Smoked Mushroom Steaks with Herbed Bread Crumbs (Vegan) from Betty Becca
Side Dishes
Turkey, Apple & Sweet Potato Pot Pies from Love & Flour
Creamy Pumpkin Apple Pasta from My Cooking Spot
Mushroom Spinach Farro from Think Fruitful
Bacon and Cornbread Stuffing from Chez CateyLou
Sweet Potato Crunch from I Cook. I Eat. It’s Life.
Blue Cheese & Bacon Mashed Potatoes from A Savory Feast
Sausage Stuffing from the Wetherills Say I Do
Butternut Squash Grits from Homespun Seasonal Living
Wine
Thanksgiving Wine Pairings from Twin Stripe
If you want more tips for making a Thanksgiving dinner with less stress sign up and download my free guide to a complete Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 persimmon
- 1 pear
- mixed greens
- chopped, toasted pecans
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- slice persimmon and pear into thin wedges
- toss fruit, lettuce and pecans together
- whisk vinegar, mustard and maple syrup together
- slowly whisk in the olive oil
- add shallots, salt and pepper
Oh man, this salad looks gorgeous! I love that you used persimmons 😉
I love persimmons. Do you have any good recipes that use them?
I was eyeing your “how to” post on the persimmon yesterday, so I was doubly happy to see this recipe today. I haven’t tried them yet, but they are definitely on my “to eat” list.
I hope you enjoy them LeAndra and glad you enjoyed the posts. I have found them to be a unique and fun ingredient.
I’ve never tried a persimmon before… and this salad makes me desperately want to give one a shot. When we lived in Louisiana, there were a ton of persimmon trees in our neighborhood, strangely enough, and I was always fascinated with the fruit… though I never tried it.
This sounds like a light, delicious salad to accompany a Thanksgiving feast, and I love it! And that dressing… it sounds sooooooo good, too! Nice work, lady!
Thanks Erin. I hope you give persimmon a try now. I love salad with big meals it is a soft way to get started before all the other food hits the table.
What a beautiful salad, Anne! I have never thought to put maple syrup in dressing but I bet it goes so well with mustard. Really stunning colors, too. I still haven’t tried a persimmon, but now I really want to!
I hadn’t thought of maple syrup either but in my research it popped up so decided to give it a try and was very happy with it.
This salad is gorgeous! Love the tip to sub in pomegranate seeds for nuts, since my fiance is allergic. And goat cheese sounds like an amazing addition, too! Love this 🙂
I have some friends that are allergic as well and it seems a shame they would miss out on crunch in a salad because of it. That is my favorite part!
I hate to admit it but I have not used persimmon enough in my life. Now I have a wonderful recipe to try!
I love new ingredients! Hope you enjoy them and the salad.
As far as I know, I’ve never had a persimmon, but this would be a great introductory recipe. Sounds fresh and delicious!
It is a nice introduction I think. Hope you give it a try some time this season.
I love making homemade dressings for salad. The maple syrup in this one sounds so good. This is the perfect Fall salad.
I am just starting to get into salad dressings. It is nice to control what is going into them and know there aren’t any hidden ingredients.
I recently discovered persimmons and love them. I can’t wait to try this salad! It sounds amazing, especially with pear and dressing!
What have you used persimmons with so far? I am always looking for new ideas.