This colorful salad was inspired by my daughter Aria’s godmother Nathalie. Not only is Nathalie a wonderful godmother to my baby girl, but she’s also an amazing cook. While we were in Paris, Nathalie invited us several times for dinner and made a feast every single time for us. We were so spoiled!
One of our favorite dishes that she made for us was an avocado and Hachiya persimmon salad. Persimmons, when ripe, have a vibrant orange color, making them perfect for Halloween. In case you were confused, the Hachiya variety is the soft one, with the pointed end. They are irresistible when extremely ripe, but basically inedible before that point. I always ripen the fruit in a paper bag with apples or bananas (or both).
The creamy avocado slices are the perfect contrast to the brightness of the persimmons. To finish the salad, I added spicy sprouts and slightly toasted pine nuts for texture. I think it’s the perfect salad for a Halloween party, and I hope you do too!
1. Info for Avocado and Persimmon Salad Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 6
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Avocado and Persimmon Salad Recipe
- 3 ripe avocados
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Hachiya persimmons, ripe
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- ⅛ teaspoon Cyprus Mediterranean salt flakes (or regular salt)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
3. Directions:
3.1 Prepping the avocados
Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the avocado into small wedges. Transfer to a plate, removing the peel from each slice (that way the avocado isn’t mushy). Drizzle with lemon juice to avoid oxidation.
3.2 Prepping the pine nuts
Place the pine nuts in a small pan and dry-toast them until lightly browned. Transfer immediately to a plate (or they’ll burn very fast!).
3.3 For the persimmons
Core and remove the stem end. Using a sharp knife, cut into small wedges. Using a large spoon, gently dig into the pulp and remove the skin. Transfer to a large serving platter.
3.4 For the salad dressing
Using a chef’s knife, crush the garlic clove. Remove the peel and very finely chop the garlic. Add the vinegar, olive oil and dill. Season with salt. Whisk well.
3.5 Assembly time
You can assemble this salad as it pleases you. Here’s my suggestion:
On the same large serving platter, alternate the avocado slices and persimmons, fanning them. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with the flavorful salad dressing. Top with the spicy sprouts.
Serve at room temperature.
Bon appétit!
4. Tips and advices:
- When Hachiya persimmons are ripe, they’re divine. When they’re not, there are few things that taste worse. I remember as a child going to the farmers’ market with Papa when Hachiya persimmons were in season. We would buy them by the case. I couldn’t wait for them to ripen, but like many things in life, patience was rewarded. We would speed up the process by placing a banana and an apple with the persimmons in a paper bag. Every day, I would come home from school, stick my hand in the bag and check to see if the persimmons were ready. I knew they were ready to eat when they felt as though they would fall apart in my hand.
- The spicy sprouts taste similar to arugula. Their peppery aroma is sufficient; it isn’t necessary to add peppercorns to the salad.