This beautiful pear salad is just plain delicious. A blend of mixed greens and Romaine, is tossed with pear, pomegranate, toasted almonds, avocado and bleu cheese to create a flavor sensation. The fresh pears are crisp and mildly sweet, and the combination of all the other goodies gives a sweet-savory-tangy zest, bite after bite.
The salad dressing
First, let's talk dressing. Pear Salad (etc., etc., etc.) is at its best with our Creamy Pear Vinaigrette. You just can't beat homemade dressing. We think it's the thing that really makes a salad go from good to great!
Salad base + all the fixings!
Romaine lettuce and mixed greens are the base of this salad. The pears, pomegranate seeds, avocado slices, toasted almonds, red onion and Bleu cheese make up the tasty bits you'll love to bite into. And that Creamy Pear Vinaigrette pulls it all together into a refreshing and flavorful blend perfect for your next lunch or dinner. Added bonus: isn't it pretty?
Toasting almonds
I like to buy sliced almonds in bulk and keep them in my freezer. For this recipe, cover a cookie sheet with foil, pour the almonds on the cookie sheet and toast in your oven at 400 degrees. It doesn't take long as the almonds are thin. About five minutes should do it, so watch closely.
Add the bleu cheese after dressing
Another tip is to set aside the Bleu cheese while you toss the salad with the dressing. If you put the cheese in before tossing, it gets pasty and alters the flavor of the vinaigrette. Toss it well, taste to see if you'd like more dressing, then sprinkle the Bleu cheese over the salad before serving. Sometimes I even put the Bleu cheese on the side in a little bowl so those who like it can sprinkle it on their own servings.
This pear salad is popular with our family and guests. We hope you like it as much as we do!
Enjoy!
Dianna
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Pear Salad w/ Pomegranate, Toasted Almonds, Avocado & Bleu Cheese
Ingredients
For Salad
- 4 cups mixed greens such as spring mix
- 1 Romaine lettuce heart torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 ripe pears thinly sliced (skin on)
- 1 pomegranate seeded
- 1 avocado sliced in 1-inch bits
- 1 cup sliced almonds toasted
- ¼ cup red onion sliced
- ¼ cup Bleu cheese crumbled
- ¾ to 1 cup Creamy Pear Vinaigrette
For Dressing
- 4 halves canned or bottled pears
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried Tarragon leaves
Instructions
Salad
- Rinse spring mix. Wash and dry Romaine lettuce and chop into bite-size pieces.
- Core and cut pears into thin slices (leave skin on for color & nutrients). Remove seeds (arils) from one pomegranate. Remove skin and pit from avocado, slice in 1-inch bits.
- Place almonds on foil lined pan in 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until lightly toasted (don't burn).
- Thinly slice red onion. Crumble Bleu cheese and set aside.
- Place all ingredients except Bleu cheese in a large bowl.
- Add ¾ cup Pear Vinaigrette and toss gently. Add more dressing if needed. Sprinkle salad with Bleu cheese.
Pear Vinaigrette (Dressing)
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until mixture is emulsified (blended together to bind oil and vinegar).
- Store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
originally posted February 22, 2019
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