Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
User Reviews
5
Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Description
Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette features fresh, sliced pears and crispy bacon as focal points alongside frisee lettuce, pecans, and Danish blue cheese. The dressing is prepared by rendering diced bacon in a skillet, then using the bacon fat to cook shallots before adding a mixture of apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. This warm bacon-infused vinaigrette thickens slightly as it simmers, then is mixed with the bacon pieces to provide a rich, tangy, and subtly sweet flavor that complements the crispness of the pears and the peppery frisee.
The salad assembly involves tossing the frisee, pears, and pecans with half of the warm dressing to lightly coat the ingredients. The remaining bacon and dressing are saved to sprinkle over the top, adding texture and flavor bursts in each bite. The varied textures include the softness of the pears, the crunch of pecans, and the creamy crumbled blue cheese, all brought together by the warm and aromatic dressing.
This salad pairs well as an appetizer or alongside roasted meats in a fall or winter meal, providing a balance of fresh and savory flavors. The warm dressing makes it especially inviting in cooler weather when cold dressings might feel less fitting.
A tip from the notes suggests dipping sliced pears in a 50% water and 50% lemon juice mixture to prevent browning and maintain a fresh appearance when preparing in advance.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)
- 4 oz Bacon I use thick cut), diced, center-cut
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (plus, additional, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons shallot finely chopped
- 8 cups frisee lettuce , torn
- 2 large pear cored and sliced 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 cup pecan halved; or caramelized pecans
- 1/3 cup blue cheese I use Danish blue, crumbled
- salt kosher salt and freshly-ground
- black pepper kosher salt and freshly-ground
Instructions
- Whisk together apple cider vinegar, mustard, and maple syrup. Set aside.
- Place bacon in a cold nonstick skillet. Cook over medium high heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- You should have about 3 tablespoons of bacon fat left in the pan. Add enough olive oil to the pan to have 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) fat total.
- Add shallots to the pan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Slowly and carefully add apple cider vinegar mixture, whisking to combine. Season with 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper. Simmer for about 2 minutes, just until the dressing coats the back of a spoon.
- Add about half of the reserved bacon back into the dressing, saving the rest to sprinkle over the salad. Let the dressing cool until just warm and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss together frisee, sliced pears, about half of the dressing, and pecans. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, topped with crumbled blue cheese, an extra drizzling of dressing, and the remaining crumbled bacon, if desired.
Notes
- To keep pear slices from discoloring, dip them in a mixture of equal parts water and lemon juice before assembling the salad.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 361 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 361kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 27mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 436mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 396mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 20g | 40% |
| Vitamin A | 5445IU | 109% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 111mg | 11% |
| Iron | 1.2mg | 7% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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