roasted persimmon and asian pear with brussels sprouts and purple daikon radish

Roasted persimmon, Asian pear, brussels sprouts, and purple daikon radish make a great fall side dish or salad that is both sweet and savory. Forget the plain roasted brussels sprouts and try bringing this dish to your next potluck or get together. The persimmon, purple daikon, and watermelon radish will make this dish pop with color and flavor.

I become obsessed with fuyu persimmons every year when they're in season. They are really sweet and you can eat them like an apple, though I do prefer to peel them first. Usually, there aren't any seeds and you get such a nice crunch when you bite into one.

Even though it seems like a waste to roast persimmon since I like to eat them as is, roasting fuyu persimmons brings out a velvety sweet flavor with a hint of vanilla. It's amazing!

This dish is simple, incorporates a favorite fall vegetable (brussels sprouts), and makes a great vegan side dish for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. This may be one of the best savory persimmon recipes. The colors and flavors are sure to impress.

jump to:

• 🥘 main ingredients
• 🎥 cooking video
• 💭 where to buy
• 🍴 cooking equipment and pantry items
• 🔪 how to prepare – step by step
• 📖 ingredient substitutions
• 🍽 recipes that go well with this dish
• 🍽 more recipes perfect for the holidays
• roasted persimmon and asian pear with brussels sprouts and radish

🥘 main ingredients

 

🎥 cooking video

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💭 where to buy

Fuyu persimmons are becoming more and more popular and should be available in many large grocery stores. I like to buy them from Garcia Organic Farm at my local farmers market.

The purple daikon radish from Weiser Family Farms is so sweet and can also be found at a local farmers market or larger grocery stores.

🍴 cooking equipment and pantry items

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🔪 how to prepare – step by step

First, wash and peel the persimmons, asian pear, and radishes.

how to cut a persimmon and core a pear

Then slice the peeled persimmons parallel to the top, about ¾" thick with the core in the center (photo 1). Remove any seeds with a paring knife. 

Quarter the pear lengthwise to remove the core by cutting out the corner of each piece (photos 2 - 5). Then cut each quarter into smaller slices (photo 6).

Crush cardamom pods with the side of a chefs knife, remove the shells, and finely mince the seeds.

Toss prepared persimmons and pear with the remaining olive oil, salt, and cardamom. Place persimmon slices flat on another large half sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Add pear slices, cut sides-down, to the sheet tray, making sure there is enough oil to coat their cut surfaces.

how to cut brussels sprouts and radish slices

Cut each brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, or quarter if they're large (photo 7)

Cut some of the radish in half lengthwise, then cut into ¾" thick half rounds. The remaining radish can be cut into ¾" thick rounds (photo 8 - 9).

Toss with prepared brussels sprouts along with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ground white pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

Place prepared radish and brussels sprouts on a large half sheet tray lined with parchment paper and spread out to one even layer.

Roast the brussels sprouts, radish, persimmons, and pear for about 15 to 20 minutes. Flip the persimmons with a spatula halfway through and roast until caramelized but not too soft. Remove brussels sprouts and radish from the oven once they are browned to your liking.

mise en place – prep table to use while cooking

Here is an ingredient prep table I use when making multiple recipes. It’s also useful when you want to be able to quickly glance at a to-do list while cooking instead of re-reading recipe instructions over and over again.

ingredient	qty	prep
		preheat oven to 450°F
fuyu persimmons	3	wash, peel, cut
asian pear	1	wash and peel quarter lengthwise and core cut into smaller slices
cardamom pods	2	crush with the side of a chefs knife remove the shells finely mince the seeds
brussels sprouts	1 pound	halve lengthwise (quarter if large)
radishes, purple daikon and watermelon	3 medium	wash and peel cut into ¾" thick rounds
lemon	1	wash and zest cut for juicing

ready to plate and serve

Squeeze lemon juice over all the ingredients. Gently toss and season more to taste if necessary. Plate and top with lemon zest to finish.

📖 ingredient substitutions

• Bosc pear or bartlett pear can be used in place of asian pear
• The radish can be omitted if you like, but the purple daikon radish and watermelon radish add so much color to this dish.
• If you only want to get one type of radish to avoid food waste, I would definitely go with the purple daikon because it's naturally sweet.

🍽 recipes that go well with this dish

This dish works great as a side dish or snack, so it goes well with a lot of main dishes such as roasted turkey, baked ham, prime rib or any of your usual holiday foods. If you're looking to have a vegetarian holiday meal, a stuffed honeynut squash recipe would pair perfectly with this dish.

Otherwise, if you're enjoying this on your own or with your immediate family for a regular meal, you can even eat it with some turkey zucchini meatballs with fresh tomato sauce and pasta.

Happy cooking! ~ Cin

🍽 more recipes perfect for the holidays

• tri-color cauliflower, lentils, and cherry tacos
• simple watermelon, cucumber, and mint salad
• sweet and savory sautéed green beans with basil
• colorful vegetarian kimchi fried rice
• browse all vegetable recipes
• orange-braised carrots and parsnips by barefoot contessa

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