Pear Salad with Balsamic French dressing

October 10, 2022

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Impress your visitors this vacation season with this loaded Pear Salad. It’s a decadent appetizer filled with recent pears, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese.

It’s true that each grand vacation meal might use a salad. The crisp, recent veggies might help break up the hearty bites of turkey, gravy, cornbread stuffing, and inexperienced bean casserole whereas including additional diet to the meal. However simply because it’s a salad doesn’t imply it must be boring.

This Pear Salad recipe is something however boring. You’ll discover all kinds of fall and winter elements right here, like sliced pears, creamy gorgonzola cheese, pomegranate, and walnuts. All layered on a mattress of greens and wearing a balsamic French dressing, it’s an appetizer that’s certain to convey some pleasure to the desk.

Recipe options

A easy and easy-to-put-together salad with a chic, eye-catching presentation.
It’s loaded with all types of fall and winter goodies, like pears, walnuts, gorgonzola, and pomegranate.
The straightforward balsamic French dressing finishes it off, including a brilliant and tangy aspect to every chew.

salad on a platter with pear, walnuts and pomegranate

Ingredient notes:

Greens – I like to make use of combined greens or arugula for pear gorgonzola salad as a result of they add a pop of colour and a peppery chew. In order for you, be at liberty to make use of child spinach, romaine, or kale as an alternative.

Pears – Use inexperienced or purple pears, or a mixture of each to play with the colours.

Walnuts – In addition to being a improbable supply of antioxidants, omega-3s, and might enhance your intestine microbiome, walnuts are accountable for the crunch and earthiness in each chew. Be at liberty to interchange them with some other nut you want, similar to almonds or pecans.

Dates – You should utilize deglet or medjool, simply be certain to take away the pit beforehand.

Gorgonzola cheese – It is a sort of blue cheese with notes of butter and cream and a refined acidity. Its distinctive flavors pair completely with recent pears and add a creamy and tangy spin to the salad. In the event you aren’t the world’s greatest blue cheese fan, select a youthful gorgonzola as the upper aged varieties are rather more pungent.

Pomegranate seeds – You should purchase the seeds on their very own or learn to de-seed the pomegranate your self utilizing this mess-free methodology.

Balsamic dressing – A very easy dressing produced from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallots, salt, and pepper. You may add maple syrup to the dressing so as to add a candy aspect as effectively.

Step-by-step directions

Step 1: Assemble the greens and toppings. Place the leafy greens on a serving platter or in a big salad bowl. Prime with the pears, walnuts, cheese, dates, and pomegranate.

Step 2: Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, balsamic, shallot, salt, and pepper collectively in a bowl or jar.

mixed greens in a bowl topped with balsamic viniagrette

Step 3: Assemble. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad and luxuriate in instantly.

Ideas and FAQs

You may omit the walnuts or serve them on the aspect in case you or your visitors have an aversion to nuts.
Similar goes for the cheese. It’s an effective way to make your vegan or dairy free visitors comfortable!
Whereas balsamic French dressing pairs greatest with the pear and walnut salad, you possibly can swap it for my selfmade dijon dressing as an alternative.

What else are you able to add to a pear salad?

Tons! Zhuzh up this fall salad with any hearty, seasonal elements you want. Any of those additions can be an awesome match:

Meat: Bacon, prosciutto, or shredded turkey.
Cheese: Parmesan, feta, or goat cheese.
Fruit and greens: Figs, apple slices, fried brussels sprouts, or fennel.
Garnishes: Dried cranberries, pistachios, almonds, dried cherries, pecans, or pumpkin seeds.

Are you able to make it forward of time?

The salad is greatest when it’s served instantly after it’s assembled. If you must save a while, you possibly can (1) combine the dressing collectively and maintain it in a jar within the fridge, or (2) put together the salad toppings and retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the fridge.

What do you serve with a pear salad?

The salad makes for a light-weight and refreshing begin to a bigger vacation meal. Serve it proper earlier than you convey out the Thanksgiving turkey, mashed potatoes, and maple roasted carrots. Or, for one thing just a little lighter, serve the salad subsequent to a brie grilled cheese or a bowl of creamy cauliflower soup.

mixed greens salad with pear on a platter

Extra fall salad recipes

In the event you made this recipe, make sure to go away a remark and star ranking beneath. Thanks!