Spicy Bok Choy Persimmon Salad
The combination of fresh bok choy and crisp persimmon makes a delicious and quick salad that you can prepare in under 20 minutes. It is a great accompaniment to rice.
I forgot to post this recipe for Spicy Bok Choy Persimmon Salad on my blog, even though I don’t know how it slipped my mind. I had made this salad and had the pictures in my library for two years.
This recipe was adapted from one of the Korean cookbooks I own, written by a famous home cook who teaches upscale Korean dishes to wealthy housewives in Korea.
The crisp and tender texture of bok choy pairs perfectly with the sweet persimmon, and the spicy and tangy chili vinaigrette brings the flavors together seamlessly.
You will definitely need a bowl of rice to serve with this salad, and you might find yourself going back for seconds after you taste it.
Bok Choy and Persimmon
Here we have some fresh bok choy and sweet persimmon.
Bok choy is a vegetable of Chinese origin that has a crisp and tender texture, similar to a cross between Napa cabbage and romaine lettuce, with a hint of sweetness.
I’ve always enjoyed it stir-fried with garlic in authentic Chinese cuisine like you would see in my choy sum recipe, but I have also found that raw bok choy can be quite delicious in certain salads. It is a perfect choice for making a quick salad.
Persimmon is a common fruit in Eastern Asia, with two main types: “dan-gam” (also known as Fuyu in Japanese) and “hong-shi” (also known as Hachiya). Dan-gam, which looks like a squashed tomato, is crunchy and sweet, making it perfect for salads. See my festive Asian style ham and rice salad with persimmon recipe.
Hong-shi is more elongated and heart-shaped, with a soft, jelly-like texture inside. It is very sweet but should be well-ripened before eating; otherwise, it can yield a “furry” taste.
Persimmons are rich in good nutrients such as fiber, folic acid, minerals, anti-cancer properties, and more. They are also a good remedy for diarrhea. However, consuming too many of them can cause some digestive discomfort, if you know what I mean.
How to make spicy bok choy persimmon salad
Cut off the bottom ends of leafy part of bok choy because they can be a little fibrous.
Cut half or quarter of the bok choy lengthwise depends on their size. Rinse them well and remove all the water by using a salad spinner.
Wash the persimmon with baking soda and slice them very thinly.
Combine bok choy, persimmon, onion, and red chili (optional)…
Here are my chili vinaigrette crew members; fish sauce, sesame seeds, garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, , corn syrup, Korean chili flakes, and lemon.
You will also need a little bit of sugar, too.
And if you have the Korean plum extract, add some by all means. If you don’t, just skip it.
Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well.
Toss everything together and your salad is ready to serve. You can serve it immediately or prepare it up to 1 hour in advance. Enjoy the fresh taste of this delicious salad with some rice.
Is it spicy? Yes, definitely. Make sure you have plenty of water on the table. But it is worth a few ounces of your sweat to enjoy this delicious Korean salad, don’t you think?
Spicy Bok Choy Persimmon Salad
Ingredients
- 6-7 medium size Bok choy, well cleaned
- 1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 persimmon, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 fresh red finger long chili, seeded and thinly sliced, optional
For dressing
- 2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Korean plum extract (maeshil cheong), optional
- 2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon Korean corn syrup (mulyeot), optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- To amke the dressing, mx all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Soak the onion slices in the water for 5 minutes and drain. Set aside.
- Cut off 2 inch of bottom leafy parts of Bok choy and discard. (You will only need the white and the leafy parts near the stem only) Half or quarter the Bok choy lengthwise depends on their size.
- In a bowl combine the Bok choy, onion, persimmon, and red chili, if using. Drizzle the dressing over and toss well with your hand. Be very gentle when you toss them.
- Serve with a bowl of rice.
I tried this dressing on watermelon rind to turn them into something like kimchi and it turned out very nice. I unfortunately lost my original watermelon rind kimchi recipe and was wondering if you could shake one off your sleeves?
Hi Holly
Can I make this in advance, about 4 days before serving.
Thanks.
Caroline
Hi Caroline
Unfortunately, this kind of kimchi salad needs to be eaten soon after it is made. If you let it sit for a few days, the moisture will be extracted from both bokchoy and the persimmon, and loose its crispness. You can prep all the ingredients separately and store in the fridge before you combine with the sauce. That could be an option.
Made this tonight. Such bright flavors! So delicious and different! And flammable! Cue the Pitbull – we’re all singing “Fireball” tonight –
Ha ha ha! I love your “fireball” song. I remember how spicy this salad was but I also enjoyed the flavors as well. Glad that you liked it.
Hallo Holly,
Well, not only I can claim that I made it, but I have pictures to prove it!
Persimons from Andong 😉
Great! Thanks for trying out my recipe and posting it on your blog! It looks great! I love the addition of walnuts in the salad!
Just made this tonight, it was great!
Wonderful, Sandra! Glad to hear that you liked it. Thanks!
Wow, that looks beautiful! Can’t believe you neglected to post it for 2 years 🙂 I just bought some persimmons from the Korean market (love that fruit!). My mouth is watering, just imagining the flavor and the texture…with a steaming bowl of rice. You are amazing!
How could you forget this for 2 years?! It looks wonderful! Really nice — thanks.
I mae this tonight but I also add an apple an I really like the taste and the crunchinness of the appleleft refreshing taste in my mouth