pear salad recipe

This Pear Salad is the perfect side for a fall gathering or the holiday table. Juicy ripe pears, arugula, spiced nuts, pomegranate seeds, dried currants and gorgonzola are all tossed in a flavorful Vanilla Fig Dressing to create the most delicious balance of flavors.

Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Fig Dressing

pumpkin

maple syrup

salt

cinnamon

cumin

cayenne

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

fig jam

vanilla

pepper

red onion, thinly sliced

pears- not overly ripe, sliced

baby arugula

pomegranate seeds

gorgonzola cheese

dried currants (or sub craisins

Preheat oven to 350F ( A toaster oven works here too)

Make the spiced Nuts

In a small bowl, toss the nuts/seeds with the maple syrup, enough to coat well, and mix in the salt and spices. Spread out on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want to get them toasted and golden. Remove from heat, and immediatly &#8220;fluff&#8221; with a fork. Let them cool completely. You can do this ahead- taking care not to eat them all before making the salad. You&#8217;ll need at least 1/2 cup for the salad.

Make the dressing

 Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl

Make the salad: 

In a large bowl (not your serving bowl) toss arugula,  red onion, 1/2 cup spiced nuts, pomegranate seeds, currants and gorgonzola cheese lightly with the dressing until perfectly coated. Taste, season with salt and pepper if you like.

Then add the pears, carefully tossing so they don&#8217;t break.

Place the salad in the serving bowl and garnish with more spiced nuts, gorgonzola and pomegranate if you like.

I haven"t made this salad, but oh my it looks so delicous!  I am not able to do much after spending 160 days in the hospital, but I so look forward to the day I am able to make this salad.  I love your web site.

Better than 5 stars as we have garden grown brown turkey figs (just mashed instead of the jam), arugula,  and seckel pears to use up.  Wowsa!  The hubs said I could make money with this salad.  I'll be sure to give you credit. :-)  It will definitely appear on our table every fall (and a few more times until the figs and pears are gone.)  We're a no-sugar house so the nuts were just toasted and we didn't use the currants either.  Delish!  Thank you.

Awesome recipe. I haven’t made this yet, but my 5 star review is simply because I know my family will devour this and fight over who gets to kick the bowl! 
PS: I am seriously considering making the maple-spiced pumpkin/pecan mix to give as holiday gifts with a recipe card attached for the arugula pear salad. 
Also if I was going to eat them without the salad (which is likely going to happen very soon, I might add a 1/4 tsp cayenne to the maple mix to heat things up just a tad!)

Perfect combination of flavors and textures! I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow with some grilled chicken (that will also have vanilla fig dressing on it).

Came out wonderfully. It was a whole bunch of distinct flavors punching and playing together nicely. Each forkful was a unique bite, and the colors were lovely too.

This pear salad recipe is a stunning fall side dish! Simple, elegant, and delicious, it&#x27;d be a great addition to a Thanksgiving or holiday dinner.

Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts

salad greens

pears (sliced)

fennel bulb (sliced paper thin*)

Lemon wedge

cranberries

pecans

walnuts

hazelnuts (or more pecans or walnuts)

pecorino

Balsamic Vinaigrette (for drizzling)

Sea salt and black pepper

Assemble the salad with the mixed greens and top with the pears and fennel. Squeeze a little lemon over the pears and fennel and toss.

Top with the cranberries, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecorino. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette is an elegant autumn dish with a stunning presentation. Sweet pears, peppery arugula, tangy Craisins, and crunchy nuts create perfect flavors!

Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

extra virgin olive oil

Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Dijon mustard

garlic (grated

tsp fine sea salt

⅛ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

red onion (thinly sliced)

arugula

pears (any variety)

oz goat cheese

pecans (toasted and cooled)

(Optional) Soak the onions in a small bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to remove some of their harsh flavors. Drain well, and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a mason jar, combine all of the salad ingredients and shake until well combined.

In a large shallow salad serving bowl, add your arugula greens. Top with pears and onions.

Sprinkle on goat cheese, cranberries, and nuts.

Shake your dressing again if it has separated and drizzle it over the salad just before serving. You can serve with or without tossing; it’s prettier if you don’t toss it, and don’t worry, the dressing will work its way down to the greens.

This salad was amazing!!!  I served a grilled chicken breast on top.  Both my hubby &amp; I loved.  Definitely going on rotation.  Thanks Natasha!!

I really loved this salad!  Unfortunately, my husband wouldnt eat it!  Fortunately, I will make the following adjustments next time - greatly reduce (or eliminate) the garlic, and greatly reduce the Dijon.  The dressing is very pungent and strong, and a bit overwhelming.  That is an easy correction, but one you might keep in mind if you think this change would please your family as well.  The combination of “goodies” in this salad is perfect!

I made this tonight for my dinner. Absolutely delicious. I added pomegranate arils as I had no cranberries and I added toasted almond flakes as the only nut I had. It was a beautiful salad my husband enjoyed it as it cut the bitterness of the rocket making it more enjoyable for him. We accompanied it with a butterflied roasted garlic and lemon chicken and roasted potatoes.. Thank you for a delicious easy salad to make, thus one’s a keeper.

Hi Natasha,
I recently served this salad for company and they loved it!  The salad dressing was a really nice change off of the one customarily make.  Two people asked for your recipe.  If there is any leftover dressing about how long does it keep in the refrigerator?   Thanks!

It looks delicious!! Have you ever substituted pears with apples?

If my husband doesn't have a salad every day, he has no energy, so I had to look for different salad recipes over the course of several years. Your salad is the tastiest of them all. And very nutritional.
Thank you for this recipe.

Devine flavour combination and not a complicated dish. A go too salad for company

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5tJo17mLzA

Quick and easy Pear Salad Recipe—complete with creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, and a balsamic vinaigrette.
#natashaskitchen #pearsalad #fallsalad

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