Persimmon Daikon Salad is quite popular in Japan as an autumn salad. The colours of orange and white are pretty and appetising, particularly with a small amount of green leaves added to it. The dressing is a simple mixture of oil, lemon juice and vinegar.
- 150 g (5.3oz) daikon (about 2 discs of 4 cm (1½”) thick, note 2)
- 150 g (5.3oz) peeled persimmon (note 1)
- 15 g (0.5oz) mizuna leaves (optional, note 3)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or other plain oil, note 5)
- A pinch of salt
- Black pepper
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Place a daikon disc on a cutting board, circle face down. Slice 3mm (⅛") thick, then cut the slices same direction into 3mm (⅛") matchsticks. Leave the daikon sticks in a bowl filled with chilled water (not in ingredients) for 5 minutes to make them crisp.
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Slice persimmon vertically into 3mm (⅛") thick slices, then cut the slices the same direction into 3mm (⅛") matchsticks.
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If mizuna leaves are large in relation to persimmon and daikon, cut them into two.
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Place persimmon, daikon and mizuna in a bowl.
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Put all the Dressing ingredients in a jar or a small bowl and shake/mix well.
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Pour the dressing into the persimmon bowl and gently mix the salad so that persimmon, daikon and mizuna leaves are evenly scattered and well coated in the dressing.
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Transfer salad to a serving bowl individually or a large bowl. Serve immediately.
1. My persimmon was not very large. After removing the green top and peeling the skin, it was about 150g (5.3oz). The weight does not have to be exact.
2. My persimmon matchsticks were about 4cm long. So, I made the daikon matchsticks the same length as the persimmon sticks to make the salad look neat and uniform. This is not mandatory but you may try to make them as close as possible.
I needed two discs because my daikon was not very large. You may only need one fat disc or three skinny discs. The ratio of daikon to persimmon sticks can also be adjusted.
3. It’s quite alright not to add mizuna or any other green for that matter. But I think that a little green colour makes this salad more vibrant. Instead of mizuna you can use baby spinach leaves, baby rocket leaves, sliced cucumbers or you can just sprinkle chopped parsley.
4. Other suggested plain oil includes peanut oil and grapeseed oil. Because the flavour of persimmon is quite delicate, you don’t want to use a strong-flavoured oil such as olive oil or sesame oil.