Pear salad with crumbled blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts is the perfect Autumn salad! It's a great accompaniment to any Fall meal--serves 2-3.
Or, as I like to call it: my favorite everything pearsalad. Because it has all my favorite things! Juicy fall pears, tangy bleu cheese, and salty roasted hazelnuts. It always graces my Thanksgiving for two menu.
But, first let's discuss something very important. The classic vinaigrette recipe. You know it by heart: the one with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of Dijon? Well, here's the thing: I've never really liked it on lettuce. I love it on salmon and lentils, but on delicate greens? No way. I don't know why I'm the only person in the world that thinks the 'perfect vinaigrette' recipe is flawed. But I do. I realized it was keeping me from eating salad.
Then, I realized it was the vinegar that was the deal-breaker for me. Now, I don't normally have a problem with vinegar. I actually drink pickle juice from the jar. (Why did I feel the need to divulge that in public? Oh god. Sorry, Mom). Basically, I like vinegar. But I just think it's too over-whelming for delicate baby lettuces. So, when my CSA gave me a giant bag of lovely little hand-picked lettuces, I vowed to find a homemade dressing recipe that I loved so they wouldn't go to waste.
Here's the trick: I reached for rice vinegar instead of the standard red wine vinegar. Rice vinegar is mild, subtle, and always there for you in the pantry. It's everything you've ever wanted in a lover. I mean dressing. We're definitely talking about dressing.
The world's new perfect vinaigrette recipe is this: rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, and maple syrup. Pepper if you're feeling fancy. (When are you not feeling fancy?)
Side note: if you bought the $7 bag of roasted hazelnuts to make my hazelnut cookie recipe, you can use the rest of the bag here. Thank you guys for all the great reviews on that recipe! I've made it 3 more times since, and I'm obsessed.
Gotta get my mind off cookies and onto salad now.
Pear salad, step-by-step:
This recipe usually makes enough salad dressing for a salad that serves two. That's the point of this site, but if you're following along on my Thanksgiving for Two series, you'll know that we're going to double it today to serve 4.
So, start with 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar in a pretty little Weck tulip jar. Ok, you don't really have to use this exact jar, but it's so sweet!
Next, add two pinches of salt.
Carefully measure out 4 tablespoons of olive oil. This is where you use high-quality olive oil, because it just tastes clean and grassy. Grassy is a good thing when it comes to olive oil, just trust me.
And two teaspoons of maple syrup. Yes, yes.
Aren't the layers of the vinaigrette so pretty?
Shake shake shake, Señora, and then pour it over the pear salad. You already added tons of crumbled bleu cheese, thinly sliced red pears, and hazelnuts to the salad, right? I thought so. Sorry I left that bit off from the step-by-step photos.
In a (hazel)nut shell, pile your greens high, add thinly sliced pears, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped roasted salty hazelnuts.
All we have left on our Small Thanksgiving journey is one more side-dish and dessert. Are you ready? Catch my roundup of Thanksgiving recipes sides here!
Fall Chopped Salad
Fall chopped salad with pears, blue cheese, and hazelnuts and a quick maple vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
For the salad:
- 6 cups mixed baby greens
- 2 red pears, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup crumbled bleu cheese
- ¾ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, make the vinaigrette: Combine the rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and maple syrup in a small jar. Shake well.
- Next, in a large bowl, mix together the salad greens, pears, bleu cheese and hazelnuts. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top, and toss to combine.
Notes
You can double the maple vinaigrette recipe and save it for future salads. Subsitute pecans if you can't find hazelnuts.m
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 672Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 22gSugar: 17gProtein: 22g
Jessica@stuckonsweet says
Gorgeous salad Christina! Good olive oil so tastes grassy! I never could put my finger on how to explain the flavor so thank you!
Erin@WellPlated says
How did you know I got assigned to bring a salad for this weekend's friendsgiving. I know what I am making now. Brilliant idea to use rice vinegar too!
Annie @Maebells says
I'm not sure I have ever seen a prettier salad! I love making my own dressings so I can't wait to try this!
Dani Mendocha @ Styled Variety says
This salad looks gorgeous and sounds delicious! :) I especially want to try the salad dressing recipe, as I normally am not a fan of classic vinaigrette on salad either!
Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com
julie says
I drink pickle juice too, Christina. Embrace your inner weirdness and you will probably find it's not so weird. I am absolutely loving your Thanksgiving recipes. I have your cranberry butter cooking on the stove and am planning on making a chicken version of your yummy looking turkey breast this weekend and of course Brussels spouts are my favorite vegetable so they will be on my table this weekend too. can't wait to see what you have got for us for dessert. Have a great day. Julie
Christina Lane says
Thanks so much, Julie! You're going to love dessert on Monday ;) Heck, you'll probably see a sneak peak on instagram :)
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
When I saw your Snap of your CSA goodies this past week, I was so jealous/sad we don't have access to it all the way up here in the tundra. Sigh. Still, I'm going to hunt down the best greens I can find to make this loverly salad. Because I needs it.
Lib M. says
Do you think agave or honey could be swapped for the maple syrup? I don't keep the stuff around... but I do love fall salads with pears!