Miso Spinach Salad with Persimmon

A fresh spinach salad, with sweet persimmons, jicama and avocado is paired with a salty-sweet miso dressing.

Eat an apple before you go, fill your plate with plenty of veggies, drink lots of water...and so on. These are just of few of the tips provided by the diet experts to help us survive the plentiful offerings of holiday buffets and cocktail parties, and avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain. That's all well and good until the waiter whisks by with the tray of bacon-wrapped scallops and Brie cheese canapés.

The only way I'm going to lose weight at a Christmas party is by sprinting after that ever-elusive black and white-clad scoundrel. I have no idea why my husband denies all knowledge of my existence at these functions. Rather than deny myself the satisfaction of these party goodies, I have decided the best way to insure that my jeans still fit by New Year's is to eat more healthfully at home.

After using some of the persimmons given to me by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen (given to her by Andrea of Rookie Cookery) in my Pan-Fried Brie with Persimmon Salsa Canapés, I wanted to try something a little lighter. I found a variation of this recipe from Gourmet Magazine and made my own version by changing the ingredients of the dressing, combining miso, lime juice, and olive oil. The persimmons, jicama, avocado, and spinach compliment each other in both taste and texture. At first, I was a bit skeptical about the flavors of the dressing, but was very pleasantly surprised by the salty-sweet juxtaposition of the persimmons and miso.

The recipe:

The dressing:

In a blender, combine 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice, 4 teaspoons water, 1 ½ tablespoons white miso (fermented soybean paste), ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth.

With the blender running, slowly pour in ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stop pouring the olive oil a couple of times throughout this process, with blender running, to insure that the emulsification is forming well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

The salad:

Place 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves in a serving bowl. Peel, cut in half lengthwise, seed (if necessary), and thinly slice 1 pound (about 1 ½ large) firm, but ripe, Fuyu persimmons. Peel and cut ¼ of a medium-sized jicama into matchstick pieces.

Halve, pit, and peel one large, ripe avocado, and slice thinly. Toss the spinach with a few tablespoons of the miso dressing. Add the persimmon, jicama, and avocado and toss with a 2-3 additional tablespoons of dressing, to taste. Serve.

Other salads with persimmons:

Kalyn's Kitchen's Black Bean Salad with Fuyu Persimmon, Avocado, & Lime-Cumin Dressing
Savour Fare's Arugula Salad with Persimmons & Gouda
Rice & Wheat's Baby Spinach Salad with Persimmons, Blue Cheese & Candied Walnuts
Hobson's Choice Warm Persimmon Salad with Spanish Chorizo & Cabrales
The Culinary Chase's Rocket & Prosciutto-Wrapped Persimmon Salad

Printable Recipe

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Send me recipes from Cookin' Canuck

Spinach Salad with Persimmon and Miso Dressing Recipe

A fresh spinach salad, with sweet persimmons, jicama and avocado is paired with a salty-sweet miso dressing.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Healthy Appetizers

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Keep Screen AwakePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

The Dressing:

• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 4 teaspoons water
• 1 ½ tablespoons white miso fermented soybean paste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil

The Salad:

• 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves
• 1 pound about 1 ½ large Fuyu persimmons, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
• ¼ medium-sized jicama peeled and sliced into matchstick pieces
• 1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced

Instructions

The Dressing:

• In a blender, combine lime juice, water, white miso, black pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly pour in olive oil. Stop pouring the olive oil a couple of times throughout this process, with blender running, to insure that the emulsification is forming well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

The Salad:

• Place fresh spinach leaves in a serving bowl. Toss the spinach with a few tablespoons of the miso dressing. Add the persimmon, jicama, and avocado and toss with a 2-3 additional tablespoons of dressing, to taste. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 908mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4060IU | Vitamin C: 101.6mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4.8mg

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.