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This is one amazing salad! With pears, candied walnuts and blue cheese, it’s elegant enough for company and easy enough for everyday!
I first had this salad at a fancy restaurant. It was so impressive, and different and the tastes so decadently luscious, I decided to recreate it. Now you can too, and no one will believe how easy it is!
If you and your family are tired of the same old tomato and lettuce salads, give this Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad a try. Don’t be scared by the thought of making candied walnuts – they’re so simple and delicious, your kids will probably beg you to make them for a treat. (I won’t tell if you sneak a few for yourself!) I like to make extra, just for that reason! And if you, or someone in your family, doesn’t like walnuts, you can substitute pecans for an equally mouth-watering salad. You’ll love the sweet crunch of the nuts with the pears and the savory dressing, cheese and greens. Bonus tip – you can make a big batch of these candied nuts, put them in an airtight container after they cool, and store them in a pantry for up to 2 weeks or even freeze them!
If you don’t like blue cheese, you can easily substitute it with crumbled goat cheese or crumbled feta. Either one of these cheeses complements the pears and candied nuts beautifully. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
I love making this Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad for a special dinner or to bring to a party. If I’m bringing it somewhere, I usually assemble it there, so the greens stay crisp in the dressing, and the pears and candied walnuts and blue cheese are strewn artfully on top. No one will believe how simple this dressing is to make, and it’s so delicious. I can’t tell you how many compliments I’ve gotten on this salad – it’s so sophisticated, yet easy.
When you’re choosing the pears for this salad, I recommend either Bosc, d’Anjou or Bartlett pears. Bosc pears are red-skinned, and are a little firmer than Bartletts (the green ones you’re probably familiar with). D’Anjou pears are green, even when ripe, unlike Bartletts, which turn more yellow as they ripen. You can tell when Bosc and d’Ajou pears are ripe when they yield to slight pressure at the stem or neck end. Boscs and d’Anjous are slightly smoother and more juicy than Bartletts, so I like to use these when there available. You don’t need to peel them for this recipe, which makes it even simpler. Yellow or red pear skins look great against the greens – perfect for a special holiday feast!
If you like this pear walnut salad, you will also love these easy recipes:
How To Make A Cheese Platter – creating a beautiful cheese board have never been easier! Learn my easy cheese platter formula for a foolproof perfect cheeseboard every time!
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus– perfect easy appetizer that looks so impressive! Just 2 ingredients – asparagus and bacon :)
This amazing salad with pears, candied walnuts and blue cheese looks so elegant and tastes mouthwatering! So easy to make and perfect for entertaining!
Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add sugar, mix until combined with butter and cook for 1 minute. Add the walnuts and mix until combined. Cook, stirring every 30 seconds, until the walnuts are coated with sugar glaze (about 3 minutes).
Put the candied walnuts on a parchment-paper-lined plate in a single layer and let cool.
Make the dressing
Put olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a cup and whisk until combined.
Assemble the salad
Put the salad greens in a large bowl, pour the dressing over them and toss until the greens are coated with the dressing.
Divide the dressed salad greens between 6 plates.
Top the salad greens with pear slices, candied walnuts and blue cheese.
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