Winter Green Salad with Pears (Printable View)
Crisp greens and juicy pears tossed with toasted nuts and tangy vinaigrette for a refreshing seasonal dish.
# What You Need:
→ Greens
01 - 5 oz mixed winter greens (such as kale, spinach, arugula, or radicchio)
→ Fruit
02 - 2 ripe pears, thinly sliced
→ Cheese
03 - 2 oz crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese
→ Nuts
04 - 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted
→ Dressing
05 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
07 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
08 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
09 - 1 small shallot, finely minced
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Place the walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, and minced shallot. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed winter greens, sliced pears, and half of the toasted nuts.
04 - Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the salad mixture. Toss gently to coat the leaves and fruit evenly.
05 - Transfer the dressed salad to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the remaining toasted nuts and crumbled cheese, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It takes just 20 minutes but tastes like you fussed over it for hours.
- The contrast of sweet pears against peppery greens and creamy cheese is genuinely addictive.
- You can make the vinaigrette in the time it takes to slice the pears, so there's no real prep stress.
02 -
- If you dress the salad too far in advance, the greens wilt and the pears start to brown, so assemble everything just before you sit down to eat.
- The shallot needs to be minced fine enough to disappear into the vinaigrette, not chunked like you're making salsa.
03 -
- A perfectly ripe pear should yield to gentle pressure at the stem end but still feel firm in your hand; if you can't find ripe pears, buy them a day early and let them sit on the counter.
- Make your dressing in the same bowl you'll use for the greens to save cleanup, and whisk it together while your nuts are toasting.