Bok Choy Persimmon Salad, spicy

The combination of fresh bok choy and crisp persimmon makes a savory and short salad that you can prepare in under 20 minutes. It is a great accompaniment to rice.

We forgot to post this recipe for Spicy Bok Choy Persimmon Salad on our blog, even though we don’t know how it slipped our mind. We had made this salad and had the pictures in our library for two years.

This recipe was adapted from one of the Korean cookbooks we 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 evenly 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. If you enjoy bok choy, you might also like this Chinese style bok choy stir-fry.

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.

We've always enjoyed it stir-fried with garlic in classic Chinese cuisine like you would see in our choy sum recipe, but we have also found that raw bok choy can be quite savory in certain salads. It is a steady choice for making a short 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 steady for salads.

Hong-shi is more elongated and heart-shaped, with a soft, jelly-like texture inside. It is sweet but should be well-ripened before eating; otherwise, it can yield a “furry” taste.

How the dish comes together

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 thinly.

Combine bok choy, persimmon, onion, and red chili (optional)…

Here are our 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 savory 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 savory Korean salad, don’t you think?

• Yield: 6 people
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

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

Method

1. To amke the dressing, mx all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
2. Soak the onion slices in the water for 5 minutes and drain. Set aside.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Serve with a bowl of rice.