Chicory Salad with Acorn, Persimmon, and a Sumac Vinaigrette

This recipe  is a must make winter salad. What’s great about this salad is it embraces chicories, winter squash, and persimmon- the best produce of the season.

Chicories are heartier than lettuce, crisp, and wonderfully bitter. What draws me to chicories are their colours, ranging from pale greens, pink speckled, or deep purples. I’m fortunate to live near an Eataly which has a wonderful collection of gorgeous Italian chicories including Castelfranco, Radicchio Del Veneto (beautifully pink!), and frisseline. However, this recipe is equally as delicious with easier to find chicories such endive, frisee, escarole, and radicchio.

What’s great about chicories is they can withstand a bold dressing, like the sumac vinaigrette featured in this recipe. It’s garlicky, sweet, acidic and has a punch of sourness from the sumac. Sumac is a beautiful Middle Eastern spice with a tangy lemony flavour. Unfortunately, It can be difficult to find at a local grocer. You’re best off finding it at a spice shop, middle eastern grocery stores, or Amazon. With that said this dressing is also delicious without the sumac.

For another chicory recipe check out my Cabbage and Lemongrass Chicory Soup

Chicory Salad with Acorn, Persimmon, and a Sumac Vinaigrette
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 small acorn squash, seeds scooped out and sliced into 1" wedges
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • sea salt for seasoning
  • sumac and sesame seeds for sprinkling
  • 2 tbsp currants
  • 1 ripe fuyu persimmon, thinly sliced by hand or with a mandoline
  • 1 lbs. chicories such as endive, frisée, radicchio, and escarole, trimmed and washed
Sumac Vinaigrette
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Whisk together the olive oil and honey. Arrange the squash on baking tray and drizzle with olive oil mixture and sea salt. Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway. Sprinkle roasted squash with sumac, sesame seeds. 

  2. Place the currants in a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow to swell, about 5 minutes. Dry off with a towel. 

  3. Tear or cut the lettuce into 1-2 inch pieces, leaving smaller leaves whole. 

  4. Prepare the dressing. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

  5. Make the salad. Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to your liking. Top with roasted squash, persimmon and currants. Serve immediately.  

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