Pear & Gorgonzola Salad Recipe

pear salad topped with cranberries, pecans, and gorgonzola.

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad Recipe

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pear salad

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This Pear Salad is hard to resist, topped with cranberries, pecans, and a tangy vinaigrette. Serve it as a side dish or top it with your favorite protein for a complete meal.

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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