This pear salad with toasted pecans and home made poppy seed dressing is the final word fall and winter aspect dish! Candy pears and jewel-like pomegranate seeds make each chew irresistible.

Right here’s a dreamy salad if there ever was one: this sensible pear salad recipe! It’s a examine in contrasts: recent, juicy pear towards funky gorgonzola cheese; vivid pomegranate towards savory shallot. Throw in some toasted pecans and tangy poppy seed dressing and it’s fairly irresistible.
I like making this salad for fall and winter entertaining: particularly for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas! After we serve it, Alex and I normally can’t cease mumbling how good it’s. It’s not usually that the salad is the spotlight of a meal, however this one all the time is!
Elements You’ll Want
This pear salad is bursting with lovely, recent produce. It’s superb for fall and winter when pears are in season, although you can also make it anytime you’ve got lusciously ripe fruit. I additionally like it for festive events like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Right here’s what you’ll want for this recipe:
- Pears: Bartlett or Anjou work superbly; the secret is excellent ripeness
- Shallot: Uncooked and thinly sliced for a candy, delicate onion taste
- Pecans: Toast the pecans to convey out their wealthy, buttery taste
- Blended greens: Any top quality mixture of child greens works
- Pomegranate seeds: Add jewel-like bursts of tart sweetness (see how one can lower a pomegranate)
- Gorgonzola cheese: Or substitute feta, goat cheese, or your favourite cheese
- Poppy seed dressing: See beneath!

Easy methods to Ripen Pears
Pears can take fairly some time to ripen, so maintain that in thoughts when planning for this recipe. Consider them extra like bananas on the subject of ripening. Listed here are some ideas:
- Place the pears in a paper bag to ripen in 2 to 4 days. Go away them at room temperature and they need to be ripe in 2 to 4 days.
- In a bowl on the counter, pears ripen in about 4 to 7 days. Examine them by gently urgent the flesh to see whether it is tender.
- Don’t place pears within the fridge until they’re ripe. The fridge slows the ripening course of. When you place them within the fridge immediately, they’ll be rock arduous. Permit them to ripen first, then solely refrigerate if you wish to delay consuming them.
Making Do-it-yourself Poppy Seed Dressing
The star of this pear salad recipe is the poppy seed dressing! This dressing is a French dressing with acidity and pop of sweetness. Listed here are just a few ingredient notes:
- Use a impartial oil like grapeseed. This makes the most effective emulsion (creamy texture) and taste. When you choose olive oil, use as much as half olive oil and half impartial oil.
- Be certain to make use of white vinegar. Keep away from white wine vinegar right here and go for white vinegar: it has the most effective simple, tangy taste.
- For a pure sweetener, strive honey. It’s simply as tasty.

Variations and Substitutions
This pear salad is extremely versatile. Whereas pears and gorgonzola are a basic taste pairing, blue cheese could be a polarizing meals. Fortunately this pear salad works with any kind of cheese, in addition to different forms of mix-ins. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to customise it:
- Cheeses: Swap gorgonzola for feta, goat cheese, shaved Parmesan, or Manchego
- Nuts: Use candied pecans, candied walnuts, toasted walnuts, or toasted almonds as an alternative of plain pecans
- Fruits: Swap in or add thinly sliced apples, recent figs, or dried cranberries
- Greens: Use child spinach, arugula, or shredded Brussels sprouts
- Protein: Prime with grilled rooster, blackened shrimp, or pan-seared salmon for a whole meal
- Make it vegan: Omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese different
Ideas for Serving a Crowd
This pear salad might be served just a few alternative ways: on a platter, or plated. Listed here are some notes on serving it for a crowd:
- Double the recent elements for a crowd. You need to have sufficient dressing for a double recipe, so simply double the recent elements!
- Serve on a platter for simple sharing. The pear salad seems festive and vibrant on a big platter.
- Or, serve it plated. Make particular person plates and drizzle about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons dressing on each.
What To Pair with It
This salad pairs splendidly with roasted meats and fish. I’ve served it alongside all the things from rooster thighs to mac and cheese to baked salmon. When you eat meat, it goes effectively with pork chops or perhaps a steak. The intense, recent flavors lower by means of wealthy foremost dishes and supply a pleasant distinction.
I’ve additionally served it as a Thanksgiving aspect dish, and it will be excellent for Christmas dinner or any fall or winter banquet.

Dietary Notes
This pear salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the gorgonzola cheese (it’s scrumptious with out!).
Incessantly Requested Questions
Gently press the flesh close to the stem together with your thumb. If it offers barely, the pear is ripe. The physique of the pear ought to nonetheless be comparatively agency: you don’t need them so comfortable that they’re mushy.
You don’t must, however I extremely suggest it. Toasting nuts takes simply 5 minutes and dramatically improves their taste and texture. When you strive toasted nuts, you’ll by no means need to use them uncooked once more.
Sure! The dressing makes about ¾ cup, which is sufficient for one batch of salad with some left over. When you’re serving a crowd, double the recent salad elements, and it is best to have loads of dressing. It retains effectively within the fridge for per week.
I apply it to easy inexperienced salads, drizzle it over roasted greens, and even use it as a marinade for grilled rooster. The sweet-tangy taste is extremely versatile.
Pear Salad with Pomegranate & Pecans
This pear salad with toasted pecans and home made poppy seed dressing is the final word fall and winter aspect dish! Candy pears and jewel-like pomegranate seeds make each chew irresistible.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 0 minutes
- Complete Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Class: Facet dish
- Methodology: Contemporary
- Delicacies: American
- Eating regimen: Vegetarian
Elements
For the pear salad
- 1 ripe pear
- 1 shallot
- ½ cup pecan items
- 8 cups combined child greens
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ⅓ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles (or feta cheese or goat cheese; omit for vegan)
For the dressing (makes ¾ cup; use roughly 6 tablespoons for 4 servings)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (or honey)
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion flakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup grapeseed oil* (or different impartial oil like natural vegetable or canola)
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Directions
- Make the dressing:Â In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the granulated sugar, white vinegar, dry mustard, onion flakes, and kosher salt. Progressively whisk within the grapeseed oil about 1 tablespoon at a time till a creamy emulsion types. Whisk within the poppy seeds. Serve instantly or retailer in a sealed container or jar till serving (enable to come back to room temperature if refrigerated).
- Prep the recent elements: Slice the pear into skinny slices. Thinly slice the shallot. See Easy methods to Lower a Pomegranate for directions on eradicating pomegranate seeds.
- If time, toast the pecans: Place the nuts in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium warmth. Warmth, shaking the pan and stirring usually with a wood spoon, till the nuts are aromatic and barely darker brown, about 4 to five minutes. Keep on the range as a result of the nuts can simply burn! Take away instantly from the warmth and switch to a plate to cease the cooking.
- Serve: Place the greens on a plate or platter. Prime with the pear slices, shallot, toasted pecans, pomegranate seeds, and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Drizzle with the specified quantity of dressing and serve (use roughly 6 tablespoons for 4 servings; retailer the remaining dressing refrigerated).
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Extra Winter & Fall Salad Recipes
- Crisp Apple Salad
- Candy Potato Salad
- Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula & Apple
- Brussels Sprout Salad
- Excellent Pomegranate Salad




