An autumn fruit salad that balances paper-thin slices of pears, apples and Fuyu persimmons with tart cranberries and pomegranate arils, all juicy and bright, makes a nice deviation from the heavy, sweet treats of the holiday season.
The salad is still sweet, and still festive, but it provides that lightened up note that is often missing this time a year when tables are filled with heavy winter vegetables like squash, potatoes and beets, roasts and sweets. I love the look of the fruit, layered one a slice against the next on a platter, but you can chop the fruit, too, if you like.
Lastly, I like to serve this salad (and others like this Roasted Beet Salad and this one with kale and butternut squash) with a kombucha vinaigrette where its sour-sweet notes and blend beautifully with ginger and maple syrup.
| Late Autumn Fruit Salad with Gingered Kombucha Maple Vinaigrette | Print |
- 2 pears
- 2 apples
- 1 Fuyu persimmon
- ¾ cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup plain kombucha (click here to brew your own)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (Find organic maple syrup here.)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil (Find it here).
- Mandoline (like this one)
- Core the apples and pears. Then slice the pears, apples and persimmon no thicker than ⅛ inch. A mandoline (like this one) makes slicing fruit evenly and thinly easy.
- Layer the pears, apples and persimmons on a serving dish, and scatter the pomegranate arils and cranberries over them.
- Whisk the kombucha, maple syrup, ginger and walnut oil together, then drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit, and serve immediately.
Persimmons are tricky. Make sure to use the squat Fuyu persimmon as opposed to the tear-drop shaped Hachiya. Fuyus are sweet at all stages of ripeness, whereas Hachiyas are astringent and inedible until completely and fully soft.
You can also chop the apples, pears and persimmons instead of slicing them thinly.
Why Kombucha?
Kombucha is a delicate, sour fermented tea that makes a perfect replacement for apple cider vinegar, only less assertive. (So if you don’t have kombucha, use cider vinegar as a substitute in this recipe.)
Kombucha is also particularly rich in beneficial microorganisms that help to support gut health, immunity and systemic wellness. Even more, it’s particularly rich in antioxidants and has a good amount of B vitamins.
This is a great book on kombucha, with tons of recipes, and you can get started brewing your own by reading up here.
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