Ani's Kitchen Stories

This beautiful and delicious Persimmon and Pear salad with mint and basil leaves and apple cider vinegar dressing will leave a lasting impression in your mind and soul. It’s a perfect gorgeous looking fruit salad for a party or for any light snacking. A winter salad with delicate sweetness and flavour is a must try.

Persimmon is the star ingredient of this salad and is one of my favourite fruit. Every year I wait for winters to get my hands on this delicious fruit. It’s delicate in texture with mild sweetness and honey like flavour. Fuyu persimmons makes it to the supermarkets in winter, mostly imported and although the prices are quite high, I make sure to enjoy few of them till the season last.

The sweet taste, flavour and the cool effect of mint enhances the salad dressing. The addition of Basil leaf makes it more refreshing and appealing salad along with the tanginess of apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing. A good quality sea salt balances the sweetness and the taste. Here I’ve used Arabian Sea salt.

Pear compliments persimmon, you can even add apple, pomegranate, orange, salad greens and nuts of your choice. Adding nuts, feta and proteins will make it more like a nutritious meal. If persimmon is not available in the market, go ahead with pear and apple along with the same salad dressing and with mint and basil.

Before the salad preparation make sure to wash the fruits and greens thoroughly by soaking it in soda vinegar water for 8-10 mins. This process will help to remove all the impurities before consumption.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• 1 persimmon 
• 1 pear 
• 8-10 basil leaves 
• 12-15 mint leaves 
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• Sea salt to taste. 

Instructions: 

• Wash the persimmon and pear thoroughly in soda vinegar water. 
• Cut off the tough green/black tops of the persimmon and slice it into wedges.
• Cut the pear in half and slice it into wedges. 
• Chop few mint and basil leaves.
• In a salad bowl add the sliced persimmon and pear along with chopped mint and basil leaves. 
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar. 
• Add sea salt.
• Now carefully toss everything together. 
• Garnish with the remaining mint and basil leaves. Enjoy!