Pear Cranberry Blue Cheese Salad
What says fall better than cranberries? This delightful salad could be the centerpiece of your next outdoor dinner or a beautiful side for Thanksgiving. I think pears are probably the most underused fruit. For me, I think it’s the avocado effect. What’s that? I just don’t have the patience to buy the fruit and wait days for the perfect ripeness. I like instant gratification produce and that is hard in our world. But if you have the time to plan a beautiful salad consider buying pears 2-3 days in advance and let them ripen on the kitchen counter or in a paper bag like avocados. I like Bartlett pears the best. I think they are the sweetest but choose the ripest at the market. Bosc pears are good also but they are the ugly duckling of pears.
Be sure to buy good blue cheese in a block. The already crumbled container is usually too dry for this salad. I only use that in a pinch or to melt. The best way to crumble it is to make sure that it is very cold.
The pecans are such a delight! I have been using these pecans in salads for years and they are so good you can do them in bulk for party nibbles. The sweet and spicy combination is perfect for crisp pears, creamy blue cheese and tart cranberries!
Pear Cranberry Salad with Blue Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 oz fresh spinach or spring mix
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup sliced fresh pear
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup pecan halves
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
Dressing
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about one lemon
- 1/2 cup Good olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Pecans
- In a small cast iron or non-stick skillet melt butter and add pecans, honey, brown sugar, salt and cayenne.
- Stir continuously over low heat until all sugar is melted onto nuts. Careful not to burn. About 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from pan and place on parchment paper to cool.
For the Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a small jar with lid and shake to emulsify. If you aren't using a jar, place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined well.
Build the Salad
- In a large bowl, add salad greens and toss with 3/4 of the dressing.
- Plate the greens and place pears, cranberries, pecans and blue cheese on each. Top with remaining dressing and a drizzle of balsamic if desired.