During winter months, usually soup is on the table more often than salad. Even out the score with this cabbage, persimmon, and roasted salmon salad.
This year, I am having an intense relationship with raw cabbage. It’s not that I discovered it, but I’ve been reminded how much I like a salad of finely shredded cabbage, and how much I enjoy playing with it, adding various ingredients and tasting the results. 
I recommend you give it a try: it is easy, fast and gives a very nice result. I also prepared black cod (a.k.a., sablefish) in the same way as the salmon, and was happy with my decision. I usually purchase king salmon (a.k.a., chinook) or coho, rigorously wild-caught.
I made roasted sesame tahini and tahini sauce for an earlier recipe and have since used the sauce with various vegetables always with nice results. For this salad, I made a batch without garlic. Tahini sauce offsets persimmon’s sweetness and brings together the rich, oily salmon with the crisp, fresh-tasting cabbage.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
This vibrant winter salad combines finely shredded cabbage, sweet persimmons, and rich roasted salmon, all brought together with a creamy tahini sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 g) white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup tahini (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 head cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 ripe persimmons, peeled and sliced
- 2 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for roasting salmon)
Instructions
How to make toasted sesame tahini
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat until they are tanned and fragrant. Shake the skillet often or stir the seeds with a spatula. This will take just a few minutes, so guard the seeds like a hawk: they will burn easily. Transfer the seeds to a plate and let cool completely.
- Process the sesame seeds in a small food processor or blender until a thick paste forms. Add the olive oil and process until smooth. Add sea salt and process briefly to distribute. Transfer the tahini to a glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
How to make tahini sauce
- Rather than raw garlic, I prefer to use roasted garlic, whose flavor is more muted. As I use the oven often, it is easy for me to wrap a few unpeeled garlic cloves in foil and put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the oven temperature.
- Whiz all the tahini sauce ingredients until smooth. You will get more than you need for the beans, but this sauce can be used to dress roasted or steamed vegetables.
How to compose the salad
- If the roasted salmon is refrigerator-cold, warm it up slightly. Flake the salmon.
- Wash the persimmon, halve it, pull away the stem and use the knife to remove the core. Slice half for the salad. If the slices are long, halve them crosswise.
- Plate the salad: season the cabbage with the sea salt and toss. Distribute the salmon and the persimmon on the cabbage bed. Drizzle the tahini sauce on the top.
- Serve with additional tahini sauce on the side. Each person will toss the salad before eating.
Notes
For a variation, try using black cod instead of salmon. The tahini sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use wild-caught salmon for the best flavor. Adjust the sweetness of the tahini sauce by varying the amount of honey.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 15 grams
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 30 grams
- Carbohydrates: 25 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 30 grams
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of salmon is recommended for the salad?
I recommend using wild-caught king salmon (chinook) or coho for the best flavor and quality.
How does the tahini sauce complement the salad?
The tahini sauce offsets the sweetness of the persimmon and balances the rich, oily salmon with the crispness of the cabbage.
Can I substitute the cabbage with another ingredient?
While cabbage is the star of this salad, you could try using finely shredded kale or Brussels sprouts, but the texture and flavor will differ.
