Pear Salad

This simple autumn pear salad combines mixed greens, juicy pears, creamy blue cheese, and toasted walnuts with honey-mustard dressing. It's perfect for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas - but easy enough for weeknights. It will make a vibrant addition to any holiday menu. For more salad ideas, check out my 30 Best Salad Recipes.

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword pear salad

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 368kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Salad:

6 cups mixed salad greens like arugula, baby spinach
½ small shallot very thinly sliced
2 medium figs quartered
3 medium pears thinly sliced (Bosc or Anjou are great), ripe but firm
4 ounces blue cheese crumbled
1 cup walnut halves lightly toasted and roughly chopped
½ cup pomegranate arils
fresh thyme for garnish

Dressing:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a dry skillet, dry toast the walnuts over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool then roughly chop and set aside.
Arrange the salad greens in a large salad bowl, then add the sliced shallots and fig quarters. Fan pear slices at intervals in the bowl then crumble over the blue cheese and scatter with the toasted walnuts. Lastly, add spoonfuls of pomegranate arils and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
To make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper until smooth and emulsified.
Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette just before serving.

Notes

Choose firm pears: I use slightly underripe Bosc or Anjou pears—they hold shape and give the best texture. Overripe pears collapse in the bowl.
Toast the nuts properly: Keep an eye on the walnuts—they go from fragrant to burnt quickly.
Thinly slice the shallot. Paper-thin means subtle heat without bite; soak in cold water 5 minutes if your shallot is sharp.
Layer for presentation: Fan pear slices and scatter toppings evenly for an elegant look.
Balance the dressing: Taste the vinaigrette before using; if your pears are very sweet, add a little extra vinegar. Or, add more honey, if the dressing is too tangy.
Emulsify well. Vigorously whisk (or shake) the vinaigrette so it clings to greens instead of pooling.
Add the dressing last: Always drizzle just before serving so the greens stay crisp.
Use a chilled plate: For entertaining, I like to chill my salad plates to keep everything fresh longer.

Storage Tips

Room Temperature: Best served immediately once dressed. Do not leave the salad dressed at room temperature for more than 30 minutes.
Refrigerator: Salad components can be prepped and stored separately. Greens and pears should be kept dry and undressed. Vinaigrette can be made 1–2 days in advance and refrigerated in a sealed jar. Do not assemble until just before serving.
Freezer: Not recommended.

Nutrition