Autumn Pear Salad
User Reviews
5
Autumn Pear Salad
Description
This Autumn Pear Salad features a mix of leafy greens combined with thin pear slices and dried cranberries for a fresh, mildly sweet base. Shaved Parmesan adds a salty, creamy element that contrasts nicely with the fruit and nuts.
The dressing, emulsified from extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and diced shallot, is flavorful but balanced to enhance rather than overpower the salad components. Seasoned with fresh ground salt and pepper, it ties all the ingredients together.
Caramelized walnuts coated in butter and brown sugar bring a crunchy texture and rich toasted sweetness. Cooking them until caramelized and cooling before adding preserves their crispness and prevents sogginess in the salad.
The salad is best tossed in the vinaigrette just prior to serving to maintain lettuce crispness. It works well as a side salad alongside richer main courses or as part of a seasonal menu.
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 Tbsp shallot finely diced
- salt freshly ground
- black pepper freshly ground
Salad
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 Tbsp butter salted
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 7 oz salad greens blend
- 7 oz spinach blend
- 2 oz Parmesan Cheese shaved
- 2 pear sliced thin (Bartlett or Anjou are great
- 1/3 cup cranberries dried, sweetened
Instructions
- To a blender add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, diced shallot and season with salt and pepper to taste (I used a 1/4 +1/8 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper).
- Blend mixture until well emulsified, about 20 seconds. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.
- In a medium skillet melt butter along with brown sugar over medium heat. Once mixture has melted add walnuts and cook, stirring constantly until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate in a single layer to cool.
- Layer lettuce and pears in a large bowl and toss with dressing, then top with parmesan, dried cranberries and candied walnuts and serve (alternately just layer all the salad ingredients then drizzle with dressing. Note: top this salad with dressing just before serving as it will wilt the lettuces after a while).
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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