Five ingredient Fall Salad
​Spinach, Persimmon, Hazelnuts - A hearty, healthy and good looking salad with a variety of textures, crunch and flavor.
By priti malhotra

4 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 small persimmon, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts (can use pecans or walnuts)
Pickled onions (optional)


Dressing;
1/4 tsp brown mustard
1 tsp maple syrup 
1 tsp champagne vinegar (I used Trade Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar)
2 1/2 tsp olive oil 
Salt and black pepper


Pickled onions;
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 thinly sliced red onion


Pickled onions are best made a day earlier or at least a few hours before serving. Combine all the ingredients except for the onions. Mix well, then add the thinly sliced onions. Keep at room temperature for an hour or two, refrigerate in a jar afterwards.

Assemble all the ingredients for the salad. Wash and dry the spinach. Thinly slice the persimmons. Roast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for about 8-10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, chop them into halves.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients except for the olive oil together. Then add the oil and mix well.

To assemble the salad put the spinach as the base. Top with persimmons, pickled onions and hazelnuts. Drizzle the dressing on top. Toss gently, and garnish with the pomegranate. Best served cold.