Enjoy a simple but elegant starter with this Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Maple Spiced Toppings. All of it is make ahead so you can enjoy it to the fullest.
I’ve always been big on salads. Ever since I was a little kid and I packed a green salad with Italian dressing in a reused margarine container in my lunch box. Never mind that it was a little soggy come lunchtime. I loved salad!
For me, the measure of a good restaurant has always been whether or not it has a good salad. Sadly, I have not found too many great salads in San Diego county. Please point me toward one.
I try to enjoy salad all year round. As I’ve shopped through the seasons I’ve learned that you don’t buy those mixed baby greens in the middle of summer. They just don’t stay fresh. But, fall? Fall is a great time to indulge in baby greens. The cooler temps are kinder.
This salad is one that I could eat at anytime of the day, month, or year. (I’d just use romaine or spinach in the summer.) There are all kinds of flavors and textures at play here: soft, juicy pear, crisp greens, the bite of the scallion, the tang of the blue cheese, the kicky sweetness of the maple-spiced pumpkin seeds. This salad rocks.
Fall is a great time to indulge in pears. They are typically really affordable all year round, but you’ll find a tastier selection in fall. Just know that you’ll want to make this salad often. I promise.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. The cheese and pepitas are the high price items in this recipe. Watch for sales and stock up.
- Make your own dressings. Bottled dressings are either way too expensive or full of junk. I love to make my own dressings. Not only are they quick and economical to prepare, but they allow me to control the ingredients that I use.
How I make this recipe easy:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
- salad spinner – I love this large model salad spinner with a salad serving bowl.
Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Maple Spiced Toppings
Enjoy a simple but elegant starter with this Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Maple Spiced Toppings. All of it is make ahead so you can enjoy it to the fullest.
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cook time:0 minutes
Total time:10 minutes
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 6 cups mixed baby greens
- 1 batch Tarragon Balsamic Dressing
- 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8s
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup Maple Spiced Pepitas
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
Instructions:
- In a large bowl combine the salad greens and enough dressing to coat. Divide the greens among 4 salad plates.
- Nestle 1/4 the pear slices atop each bed of greens. Sprinkle with the blue cheese crumbles, about 2 tablespoons per plate.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons pepitas over each plate along with 1 tablespoon scallions. Serve immediately.
Originally published November 9, 2011. Updated April 22, 2017.
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YUM! That looks so good! And except for the greens, I have everything in the house to make it!
I have not been a big salad eater for the majority of my life… but recently I discovered homemade dressings and I can’t get enough salad! I am definitely going to check out your dressing recipes 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
You had me at the title! I was NOT a fan of blue cheese until having it with pears in a salad.
Thank you for hosting. I shared my smashed potato gratin recipe. Thanksgiving is coming up so fast I really need to get organized! So many great recipes posted today.
I didn’t grow up with salad on the Thanksgiving table either, but that is one of the dishes that I am taking. I think it is time to break tradition…my family will get over it.
Thanks for hosting the linky. I posted a favorite fall side dish that would work well with a smaller crowd: http://www.familybalancesheet.org/2011/10/cranberry-walnut-acorn-squash-bowls.html
Not usually a big salad eater on Thanksgiving but I love the idea of a LIGHT dish with the big feast. And pears on top, yum! Might have to try a version of this this year.
Thanks for the multicultural shout out! Growing up, we would not only have our Thanksgiving turkey, but we would also have homemade pasta, ravioli and gnocci. (And salad last. 🙂 talk about carbo overload!
That looks so good. I’m eating some maple-spiced pepitas as I’m reading this! Thanks so much for the recipe, they are delicious!
So glad you like them!