Pears are in season right now and they’re an ideal ingredient for a salad! They’re a sweet, tart and juicy treat that pairs beautifully with arugula.
A tangy vinaigrette is the perfect complement! It’s super simple to make and can be made up to a few days in advance.
Ingredients
A healthy, refreshing salad bursting with flavor, this pear salad is perfect for the fall and winter. It’s loaded with ingredients like sliced pears, creamy gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. A simple balsamic vinaigrette adds a touch of brightness to each bite, giving this dish a delicious kick.
Whether you’re entertaining or just trying to make something different for dinner, this salad is a must-try. It’s filled with all sorts of ingredients that will please your guests, and it’s easy to prepare.
To prep this salad, you’ll need a few ingredients, including a bottle of dark balsamic vinegar, some olive oil, and shallots. You can also use white balsamic vinegar, but the darker variety has a stronger flavor that pairs well with this recipe.
The dressing is incredibly simple, too, so it’s a great way to use up leftover ingredients. It can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
If you want to make this salad a little more exciting, try adding some chopped sundried goji berries or cranberries. This will give it a burst of fruity flavor, but you can also leave out the cranberries if you’re not into those flavors.
You can also omit the walnuts and use feta or crumbled goat cheese in their place. You can even shave some parmesan over the top for a bit of texture.
This salad can be served as a side to pasta, casserole or lasagna, or on its own as a light lunch or dinner. It’s a quick and easy dish that will impress your guests, and it’s a great option for a vegetarian meal.
I recommend using Bartlett pears for this salad, but you can use any type of pear that you prefer. Generally speaking, you’ll want to buy pears that are ripe but still firm so they retain their shape. This is especially important with Bartlett pears, as they tend to become super juicy once they’re ripe.
This salad is a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. It can be served as a light appetizer or alongside turkey, mashed potatoes and maple roasted carrots. You can even pair it with a cheese-filled brie grilled cheese or a bowl of creamy cauliflower soup for a wholesome, festive meal.
Prep Time
Pears are a fruit that’s popular for salads because they’re sweet and juicy. They also contain a lot of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
However, it’s important to buy pears that are still firm and ripe. These pears don’t stay in season for long, so it’s best to grab them while they’re fresh and at their peak!
When purchasing pears for this recipe, choose Bartletts. They’re a common type of pear that are easy to find at the grocery store. These pears start out in a pretty shade of medium green and turn yellow when they ripen. They’re a good choice because they’re not overly juicy and they can be thinly sliced without bruising.
Once the pears are in a good condition, prepare the dressing by combining mustard, walnuts, and vinegar in a small food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can make the pear vinaigrette a day or two in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Preparing the pear vinaigrette is not as difficult as it sounds, but it can take a little bit of time. This is especially true if you’re making the dressing in a food processor, as it will require some extra time to mix all of the ingredients together.
It’s best to prep all of the salad’s ingredients ahead of time, so that you can quickly assemble and serve the salad when it’s ready. This is especially helpful if you’re planning to make the pear vinaigrette for a holiday meal, since it will save you time and hassle on the big day!
If you’re planning to make the candied walnuts, it’s best to do this a day in advance so that they have plenty of time to cool and harden. This way the nuts will be a bit more sturdy and easier to work with, and you can also store them in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to use them in this salad.
Cook Time
Pear salad is a perfect appetizer to serve this holiday season, and it can be made ahead of time so it’s ready when you need it. This recipe is packed with a variety of fresh pears, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese to give it that extra special flavor you need for impressing guests!
The pear salad dressing recipe is simple and easy to prepare. You just need to mix together the ingredients, let them sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, and then you’re ready to serve!
For this recipe, you’ll need a few things, including lettuce, a couple of types of pears, a little olive oil, and some balsamic vinegar. You can use whatever ripe pears you have on hand, but be sure to keep them firm and not soft or mushy.
You can also make the dressing a few days in advance to save time, but be aware that you should not toss it with the salad until just before serving because the pears will wilt.
Toss the sliced pears with lemon juice before adding them to the salad, which will help prevent them from oxidizing or turning brown. This will make the salad a brighter, more colorful dish.
A sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette pairs well with this salad, but you can substitute honey or maple syrup if you prefer. You can also add minced garlic or thyme leaves to the dressing if you like to bring out those flavors in your food.
This salad is a great addition to any holiday meal, especially the turkey and all of the fixings. But it can also be a light and refreshing starter to a bigger meal if you need some protein to help fill you up.
This simple pear salad can be made ahead of time and the toasted almonds are easy to prepare as well. You can even prepare the dressing and candied pumpkin seeds a few days in advance. This makes it a quick and easy recipe that can be served with any dinner, from every day meals to holiday dinners!
Total Time
If you love pear salad, you’ll want to add this dressing recipe to your dinner rotation. It is simple to make and comes together in less than 30 minutes. It is a light and healthy meal that can be served as a side dish or as a main course.
This pear salad recipe combines mixed greens, roasted pears, and various toppings that you toss in a lemon vinaigrette. It is delicious and is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. You can easily change the toppings to meet your needs.
The dressing for this pear salad is simple to make and requires just three ingredients. It is thick, creamy and full of flavor. It is a wonderful addition to any fall or winter salad.
You can serve this salad as a side or use it as a base to add a protein like chicken, pork or shrimp to make it into a full meal. This salad is also great for meal prep and you can roast a batch of pears and make the dressing ahead of time to assemble the salad at your next dinner party.
For this recipe, you will need red or green Anjou pears, Bosc pears or Bartlett pears that are fully ripe and firm. You can find these pears at most grocery stores.
To prepare this recipe, you will need to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then, you will need to rinse the pears and slice them into thin slices. Then, you will need to drizzle the pears with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and black pepper and then bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until they are just softened.
Once the pears are cooled, you will need to toss them with the arugula, goat cheese, pomegranate arils and pecans. You will then need to drizzle the salad with the lemon dressing and you will need to give it a gentle toss to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the salad.
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover pear sauce or pear juice that you have in your refrigerator. It is a tasty and easy to make recipe that will be a favorite for your family.