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This Pear Gorgonzola Salad recipe is inspired by one from a Kansas City restaurant called Nick & Jake’s. Fresh pears are tossed with pecans, cranberries, gorgonzola cheese, and a tangy vinaigrette you can shake together in minutes… for a fraction of the price!
Top this salad with your favorite protein to make it a complete meal. We usually top it with oven baked chicken breast, but chickpeas or baked salmon would also be a nice touch, too.
“Delicious salad… perfect pairing of ingredients!”
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ripe Pears. Shop for Bartlett pears, which turn yellow as they ripen. It’s easy to find ripe ones in the store because unripe ones are green. (Just like a banana!) You can use any other pear variety that’s in season, too. When pears aren’t available, try my Apple Walnut Salad as an alternative.
- Mixed Greens. Any lettuce will work as the base for this salad, but starting with a box of pre-rinsed spring mix from the store will speed up the prep.
- Gorgonzola. I know not everyone is a fan of blue cheese, but gorgonzola crumbles pair exceptionally well with ripe pears and a tangy vinaigrette. (This is not to be confused with other varieties of blue cheese– gorgonzola is best.)
- Pecans. To stay authentic to the Kansas City salad I’m trying to replicate, try candied pecans on top. I’ve also made candied walnuts with maple syrup if you want a naturally-sweetened option.
- Dried Cranberries. These add another layer of chewy texture and tangy, sweet flavor to the salad. I think they make this feel like a holiday salad, so it’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas, too.
- Vinaigrette. Shake the dressing in a jar with simple pantry ingredients like red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. It’s so fast and easy!
Pear Salad Recipe (Step by Step)
- To prepare the salad dressing, add 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a 12-ounce jar with a lid. Shake or stir well to combine, making sure no honey sticks to the bottom of the jar, then set aside.
- Slice the fresh pear (make sure it’s yellow if you’re using a Bartlett pear) by removing the core and seeds. Then cut the larger chunks into thin slices that you can fan-out on a salad.
- To prepare the salad, add a big handful of spring mix to a bowl. Top with the sliced pears, then add dried cranberries, pecans, and gorgonzola. The amount may vary depending on how many people you want to serve.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top and gently toss to serve. For a complete meal, top the salad with baked chicken breasts. Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Pear Gorgonzola Salad FAQs
What kind of pears are best for salad?
Bartlett pears are my favorite for salad, and for eating in general. Their skin turns from green to yellow when they are ready to eat! That said, any ripe pear variety should work. (Even canned pear could work, but it won’t taste as fresh.)
What dressing goes best with a pear salad?
I like the red wine vinaigrette listed below, but you can also use Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette or Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing if you prefer a different vinegar.
Can I make pear salad vegan?
Yes, swap the honey for maple syrup when making the dressing, then omit the cheese for a vegan dish.
Serve This Pear Salad With…
If you try this Pear Salad recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐ star rating below to let me know how you like it. Thanks for visiting!
Pear Gorgonzola Salad Recipe
Meet the best pear salad I've ever tasted. Fresh pears are tossed with a tangy homemade vinaigrette (that you can shake together in 5 minutes), gorgonzola crumbles, dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans. It tastes like something you'd order at a restaurant, but you can make it with simple pantry ingredients in no time… for a fraction of the price.
prep15 mins cook0 mins total15 mins
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pear Salad
- 6 ounces spring mix
- 1 to 2 ripe Bartlett pears
- ¼ cup Gorgonzola crumbles
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup candied walnuts or pecans (or any nuts)
Instructions
- To prepare the dressing, add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper to an 8-ounce (or larger) jar with a lid. Use a small whisk or spoon to stir well, making sure that the honey doesn't sit at the bottom of the jar. Once the dressing is mixed, secure the lid on the jar and set it aside.
- To assemble the salad, arrange the mixed greens in a large serving bowl. Use a sharp knife to slice the 4 sides of the pear away from the core, and discard the center with the stem and seeds. Thinly slice the pear, then fan the slices over the bed of greens. You can use 1 or 2 pears, depending on how much fruit you'd like to have on each serving. (Tip: Bartlett pears turn from green to yellow when they are ripe!)
- Add the Gorgonzola crumbles, dried cranberries, and candied nuts on top. With the lid still on the dressing jar, shake well to ensure the dressing is well mixed, then remove the lid and drizzle the dressing generously over the salad. (You don't have to use all of it right away.) Gently toss and serve right away with any extra dressing on the side.
- Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition information is for 1/4 of this recipe, assuming you use all of the toppings and all of the salad dressing. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Dressing Note: For a sweeter and slightly thicker dressing, reduce the vinegar to just 2 tablespoons.
Customize it: All of these toppings are just a suggestion, based on a delicious salad I enjoyed at a local restaurant. If you’re not a blue cheese fan, use goat cheese or feta, instead. (Don’t use another blue cheese variety, though. Gorgonzola tastes best in this!) Feel free to add sliced red onion, grilled chicken, or any other toppings you love.
Nutrition
Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
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I made this for lunch today! I had Feta cheese and dried Cherries at home, and some lettuce from the garden, so I used those ingredients instead of what your recipe called for.
I halfed the recipe because it was just my husband and myself. We had it with chicken wings on the side.
This salad was sooo good! The flavors played delightfully well together and tasted like a salad we would get at a nice restaurant. The bonus was that It wasn’t a lot of work to pull it together. I will be making it again!
Thank you for this recipe and all of the ones you have shared. They all have been very, very good! We appreciate you and the time you dedicate to making them.
I’ve made it using spring mix with spinach & diced red onions. It’s a family favorite & so delicious. If I don’t have pecans, I use walnuts. This is a great recipe that adapts well to changes & additions.
I did the salad with the chicken. It was delicious. I changed it a bit, I think because I’m a Brit. I swapped out the cranberries and pecans for pomegranate and walnuts. I love walnuts with pears!!
Yum, I love walnuts with pears, too. Glad you enjoyed it with the chicken!
I could eat this everyday! I swapped date syrup for the maple syrup and made the dressing oil free.
Delicious salad…perfect pairing of ingredients!