This delicious and vibrant roasted beets and persimmon salad is a delight for the eyes and taste buds alike. Sweet and earthy beets and silky fruity persimmon blend together beautifully and along with other ingredients create a unique flavour profile. Moreover, this bright, colorful plate will be a great addition to your festive table during the holiday season!
The Flavour Affair:
Beets + Caraway Seeds + Persimmons + Kale + Honey, Mustard and Lemon
It may seem like a lot is going on here, but every ingredient has been carefully curated to enhance and balance the flavours. It was also my mission to make this salad fun and festive and prove to my children that beets can be incredibly delicious!
Beets: this versatile vegetable is full of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals as well as a fiber. Roasted beets have a mild, sweet taste and a pleasant texture, making them a great salad ingredient.
Caraway seeds: fresh and citrusy, they complement the earthiness of beets incredibly well. They also add a delicious crunch!
Persimmons: silky, fruity, with a jelly-like texture, this underrated fruit packed with vitamins A and C is a fantastic addition to seasonal salads and a great flavour companion for roasted beets.
Kale: together with other salad greens, balances the salad with its bitter notes and acidity that comes from softening it with vinegar or lemon juice.
Honey, Mustard and Lemon: create a sweet, citrusy and punchy dressing which perfectly ties all the ingredients together.
Other Ingredients:
Candied nuts: give a sweet crunch for that holiday feel!
Dried barberries: bring in a tangy, sour note.
Red radishes: add a nice touch of brightness to the plate – I had a few in the fridge so I thought, why not!
Make space for this delicious roasted beets and persimmon salad on your holiday table and let me know what you think!
Roasted Beets and Persimmon Salad
Equipment
- 1 Roasting tray
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Serving plate
Ingredients
- 8-10 small mixed beets, halved
- 6-8 red radishes, halved optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp rock salt
- 1 ripe Spanish persimmon, cut into thin wedges
- 1 tbsp walnuts, crushed
- 1 tbsp pistachios
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 pack fresh kale
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dried barberries
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Toss the beets and radishes (if using) with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp caraway seeds and 1/2 tsp rock salt. Arrange on a roasting tray in a single layer and roast for 35-40 minutes or until soft. Let cool and slice into wedges.
- In the meantime, toast 1 tbsp crushed walnuts and 1 tbsp pistachios over medium heat until smelling amazing. Add 1 tbsp of maple syrup and toss around for a few minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool down.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp each honey and Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp each salt and ground nutmeg. Taste and adjust for sweetness, salt or acidity.
- Massage kale with 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar for the leaves to soften. Combine with the salad greens and toss with 2/3 of the dressing.
- Assemble the salad: gently mix sliced roasted beets and radishes with the salad greens and kale, add persimmon wedges and dried barberries and toss to combine.
- Arrange the salad on a serving plate, top with candied nuts, drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve.
Notes
- There is no need to peel the beets. Once roasted, the crisp skin coated with crunchy caraway seeds will add a lot of flavour.
- You can swap caraway seeds for dill seeds.
- You can prepare a large batch of candied nuts beforehand and store them in an airtight container.
