Persimmon and Blue Cheese Salad with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette

a radicchio and persimmon salad on a white plate with blue cheese a white napkin and a glass of wine

5 from 3 votes

Persimmon and Blue Cheese Salad with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette

This elegant winter salad combines pleasantly bitter radicchio, sweet persimmons, toasted walnuts, creamy blue cheese and tangy grainy mustard vinaigrette!

Prep Time15

Course: Salad

Servings:

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Leigh Anderson

Ingredients

3 heads radicchio or treviso
3 ripe Fuyu persimmons
4 oz blue cheese like Roquefort
1/4 c chopped toasted walnuts
salt and pepper

Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette

3 tbsp vinegar sherry, champagne, or apple cider
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 small shallot minced
1 tbsp walnut or toasted sesame oil
1/4 c olive oil

Instructions

In a large bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients except the oil. Then, while whisking slowly stream in the olive oil and walnut oil or sesame oil. Taste and season the dressing with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pull back the radicchio leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces then place into a large bowl. Cut the persimmons into quarter-inch slices and add them to the bowl along with the toasted walnuts and crumbled blue cheese. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Arrange on a large plate or platter. Season with salt a pepper and serve immediately!

Notes

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Radicchio: you could use any variety of chicory lettuce like: endive, frisée, treviso or escarole.
Persimmons: use Fuyu persimmons for this recipe. If you can't find persimmons, pear or apple would be a good substitute.
Vinegar: I'm really not picky about vinegar in salad dressing, especially this one. Sherry, champagne, or apple cider vinegar will all work.
Walnut Oil: Sesame oil is a perfect alternative for walnut oil. If you already have sesame on hand just go with that!
Blue Cheese: If you don't like blue cheese you can substitute goat cheese.

A note about persimmons: There are two types of persimmons at the market; Fuyu and Hachiya. For this recipe use Fuyu persimmons. Prepare the Fuyus but cutting off the stem at the top then slice into 1/4 inch half-moons.

Make Ahead: This dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Store in the refrigerator in a jar or other container with a tight lid so that it’s easy to shake it up again when you need it.

Nutrition