This salad is the epitome of seasonal eating. Apples, pomegranates, and persimmons all come into season as the leaves begin to turn and fall to the ground. Luckily I live in such an amazingly abundant area and have access to fresh, homegrown fruits all year round. This salad is my ode to healthy eating in the autumn.
Delight your family by making this beautiful salad or impress your friends by serving it at your next holiday gathering. Light and crisp, it pairs nicely with warming, winter foods. The delicate citrus dressing allows the flavors of the fruits to shine, and the candied hazelnuts add a festive touch.
I made this salad for a potluck gathering I went to last week. It was inspired by all of the fall time fruit over-flowing from my fruit bowl on the counter. My little one can’t get enough of the pomegranate seeds right now. She walks around with a red juice-stained chin much of the time.
I love this time of year when we start to gather in warm homes to share and connect. I am grateful for all the the land provides us. May we continue to be gracious stewards and take care of the EARTH.
I hope you are all having a wonderful fall season. I look forward to sharing more holiday recipes with you in the weeks to come.
What is your favorite holiday dish?
Warmly,
Katja

Autumn Salad with Apples, Pomegranates, and Persimmons
Ingredients
FOR CANDIED HAZELNUTS:
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts, preferably soaked and dehydrated
- 2 and 1/5 TBS coconut sugar (like this)
- 2 pinches of cinnamon powder
- a pinch of celtic sea salt (I use this one)
- 2 TBS water
FOR DRESSING:
- juice from one large orange
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS honey (like this)
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
- a couple pinches of sea salt
- 3 TBS olive oil
FOR SALAD:
- organic salad mix, about a 1/2 pound
- 1 crisp apple, thinly sliced
- 1 medium fuyu persimmon, thinly sliced
- 1 small pomegranate, cracked open and deseeded
Instructions
To make candied hazelnuts:
- Sprinkle coconut sugar into skillet and begin to heat over medium heat. When sugar begins to melt, toss in hazelnuts and stir to completely coat nuts. Sprinkle on cinnamon, salt, and 2 TBS of water. Stir again to evenly coat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
To make dressing:
- Mix all dressing ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.
To assemble salad:
- Toss salad greens with dressing until evenly coated. Arrange apple and persimmon slices on top. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds all around the salad. Top with cooled candied hazel nuts.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This salad is best if dressing is added just before serving. That will ensure that salad greens stay crisp and fresh.
Click HERE to PIN THIS!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I made this salad as part of my Thanksgiving dinner last year and enjoyed it so much, I’ll be making it again this year. Thanks for creating and sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad that you loved it. Happy holidays!
Oh, yay! Glad you liked it. Happy holidays!
Great recipe! I’ve been using it for Thanksgiving since 2014! Just one thing though. I just noticed you don’t list vinegar in the salad dressing. But isn’t it a vinegarette? What vinegar and how much would you recommend for the dressing? I’m going to try it with rice vinegar. Anyway thanks for the wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving table!
★★★★★
Yes, the recipe calls for one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, but feel free to use whatever vinegar you like. Sorry for the confusion. 🙂