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    Home » Salads » Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken

    Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken

    Nov 22, 2015 · by Valentina · 28 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken is tossed in an out-of-this-world Miso Ginger Dressing. With sweet persimmons and crisp grapes, it's a gorgeous, seasonal entrée salad!

    Udon Salad with winter fruits in a blue ceramic bowl.

    I'm not sure who (or what, I suppose) the star is here, the grapes, the persimmons, or the dressing. I think they all have lead roles, and the noodles, lettuce and other ingredients are excellent supporting characters.

    The inspiration for this Winter Fruit Salad started with my love of Winter Crunch Grapes.

    package of winter crunch grapes

    I love grapes in salads, especially when they're sweet and crisp.

    What are Winter Crunch Grapes?

    • They're a new variety of red, seedless grapes grown in Central California exclusively for Melissa’s Produce. 
    • In season from late summer through December, they're slightly sweeter and crunchier than standard red grapes.
    • These winter grapes are as tasty on their own as they are in a festive winter fruit salad like this one.

    I used Cinnamon persimmons in this salad, although Fuyus would also be fantastic.

    Persimmons and grapes

    The Cinnamon Persimmon is native to China and Japan and gets its name from the speckled flesh. Drizzling the salad with the super delicious, tangy and sweet Miso Ginger Dressing makes all of the ingredients beyond scrumptious!

    What's in Winter Fruit Salad beyond the fresh fruit?

    • chicken
    • Udon noodles
    • almonds
    • lettuce
    • scallions
    • dried cranberries
    Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken in a stainless steel bowl

    What's in the Miso Ginger Dressing?

    • Shiro miso paste
    • rice vinegar
    • sesame oil
    • grapeseed oil
    • fresh ginger
    • garlic
    • sugar and salt

    It's so good, you might just want a straw! 😉 

    Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken in a blue ceramic bowl

    This is a lovely winter fruit salad for the cooler months, and in the spring and summer, you can substitute with other seasonal fruits, like peaches and berries.

    Here are a few more delicious persimmon recipes.

    This is not a sponsored post -- Melissa's Produce sent me Winter Crunch Grapes and Cinnamon Persimmons for recipe testing, and as always all opinions are my own.

    Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken in a blue bowl with a scallion on top

    Winter Fruit Salad with Udon and Chicken

    Valentina K. Wein
    A picturesque seasonal dish that's packed with fall fruits and a dressing that's out of this world!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 6
    Calories 415 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the dressing

    • 2 tablespoons Shiro white miso paste
    • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger pulp
    • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
    • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

    For the salad

    • 2 cups cooked and cooled udon noodles (from about 1-ounce dry noodles - see notes)
    • 1 head washed and dried finely chopped Romaine lettuce
    • 2 to 3 Cinnamon or Fuyu persimmons, washed and dried, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
    • 2½ cup Christmas Crunch grapes washed and dried, and sliced in half, lengthwise
    • 2 large cooked chicken breasts, shredded (about 2 cups)
    • 4 scallions, washed and dried, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

    Instructions
     

    For the dressing

    • Add the miso, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt and rice vinegar to a small mixing bowl and use a whisk to blend. Add the sesame and grapeseed oils, and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

    For the salad

    • In a very large serving bowl, gently toss the noodles with the Romaine, grapes, persimmons, chicken, and scallions.
    • Drizzle with the prepared dressing and gently toss again. (Using your hands is best so the noodles don't break.)
    • Sprinkle with the cranberries and almonds and serve.

    NOTES

    Dry Udon noodles typically come in packages with a few separated bundles, with a string around each one. Each bundle of the dry noodles is usually 1 ounce.
    While I love Winter Crunch Grapes and Cinnamon Persimmons, use any varieties you enjoy.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 415kcal
    Keywords party food, fruit salads, main course salads
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christina @ Christina's Cucina

      November 22, 2015 at 9:22 pm

      WOW! Those photos make me want to reach through the screen with a fork! Absolute and total deliciousness in a bowl! And those fruits make it uber healthy, too! Nice work, Valentina!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 23, 2015 at 4:03 pm

        Thank you SO MUCH, Christina! Must admit, it was SO GOOD! Happy Thanksgiving week!

        Reply
    2. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      November 23, 2015 at 3:20 pm

      With so many rich foods this time of year, a salad loaded with seasonal goodness sounds divine! The rainbow of color is so vibrant too.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 23, 2015 at 4:02 pm

        I love that you called it a "rainbow of colors," Deb. LOVE! Happy Thanksgiving!

        Reply
    3. Coco in the Kitchen

      November 25, 2015 at 10:31 am

      Valentina, this sweet udon concoction of yours has been doing cartwheels in mind for days. I can't wait to make it this w/end!

      Happy Thanksgiving, Beautiful lady. xoxo

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 25, 2015 at 11:46 pm

        And to you, my friend! XOXO

        Reply
    4. sippitysup

      November 26, 2015 at 7:23 am

      These grapes really do work well in salads and I can see how their crunch could make silky udon even nore fun. GREG Happy Turkey Day!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 27, 2015 at 6:26 pm

        Thanks, Greg! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Shihoko

      November 26, 2015 at 11:15 pm

      Thank you for the fresh idea that I would not think. I would love to try Udon in my salad with Fuyugaki and graps. It is beautiful and colourful salad. When Fuyu (it means winter so it is winter fruit) is available in Australia, I would love to try the recipe:D

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 27, 2015 at 6:28 pm

        Thank you so much! It's one of my absolute favorite winter fruits. 🙂 Cheers!

        Reply
    6. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

      November 27, 2015 at 6:20 am

      Forget that chicken. TODAY, we use leftover turkey! Wonderful , wonderful salad.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 27, 2015 at 6:28 pm

        Now THAT'S how I should be selling it, Dorothy. Brilliant! Perfect use of leftover turkey! 🙂

        Reply
    7. germaine

      November 27, 2015 at 10:28 am

      I love the clean simplicity of this salad. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 27, 2015 at 6:29 pm

        Thanks Germaine! 🙂 Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Teresa

      November 30, 2015 at 12:18 am

      Sounds really interesting!! I love fruity salads with salted spicy dressing. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 30, 2015 at 2:02 pm

        Thank YOU, Teresa. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Vicky @AvocadoPesto

      December 07, 2015 at 1:19 pm

      Love the interesting combination of ingredients in this dish! I need to start incorporating persimmon in more of my cooking. And that ginger miso dressing sounds divine!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 07, 2015 at 1:33 pm

        Thank you Vicky! Yes, every time I use persimmons, I wonder why I don't cook with them more often. Stay tuned for Persimmon Gingerbread (coming soon)! 🙂 Valentina

        Reply
    10. Tisha

      January 11, 2019 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      So colorful and eye catching! Looks so yummy!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 11, 2019 at 4:05 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    11. Taylor Kiser

      January 11, 2019 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      This salad looks so tasty! Such a great start to the dinner menu!

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 11, 2019 at 4:05 pm

        Thanks, Taylor!

        Reply
    12. Claudia Lamascolo

      January 11, 2019 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      what a colorful healthy salad I just love how pretty this is and would serve this for even a dinner party its quite lovely!

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 11, 2019 at 4:05 pm

        Yes, lovely for a dinner party. 🙂 Thanks so much!

        Reply
    13. Sabrina

      January 11, 2019 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      I am loving this salad as a great alternative to all of the heavy dishes we've been eating lately. Looks fantastic!

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 11, 2019 at 4:06 pm

        I hope you try and love it Sabrina. Thank you!

        Reply
    14. Stephanie

      January 11, 2019 at 11:27 am

      5 stars
      This sounds like an awesome combination of flavors in this salad. I also love grapes in salad so this recipe is definitely a keeper.

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 11, 2019 at 4:08 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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