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3.5 from 6 votes

Pear Spinach Salad with Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette

An enticingly fresh, flavorful and festive salad with a delicious balance of tart and tangy with a bit of sweet and salty. It's would be perfect to serve on Thanksgiving or Christmas with it's beautiful natural colors and seasonal fruit.

Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Vinaigrette
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup (34g) fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp orange zest
  • 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Salad
  • 5 oz baby spinach
  • 2 bartlett pears (semi-firm but ripe), cored and sliced
  • 3/4 cup pomegranate arils (1/2 cup dried cranberries would also be good)
  • 3/4 cup Chopped Pecans
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. For the dressing: Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a food processor (beginning with 1/2 tsp zest and adding more to taste as you go). Pulse until cranberries have been pureed into dressing. 
  2. Transfer to a jar, cover and chill until ready to use.
  3. For the salad: Layer salad ingredients into a bowl. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over top (you'll likely have some left over) or top each individual serving with dressing. Serve immediately.