This simple Pear Salad is absolutely delicious. Delicious pears sit on a bed of spinach with goat cheese and it is all topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
I love bringing salads to holiday parties. Before you call me a grinch, hear me out.
Typically, holiday parties are fully of decadent and rich appetizers, drinks, and desserts. Bringing a salad can be a great way to ensure that a little part of your plate has fresh veggies on it.
This Pear Salad is the perfect recipe to bring to a holiday gathering. It is easy to make, has a dressing that is made to be thrown together the night before, and it has a delicious seasonal flavor everyone will love. They will be so grateful that you brought this gorgeous dish.
Pear Salad Ingredients
- Spinach: The subtle flavor and texture allow the other ingredients to shine.
- Fresh pears: Choose pears that are ripe and juicy without being mushy. It is up to you if you want to peel them, they are delicious with or without their peels in this recipe.
- Dried cranberries: Add color, flavor, and a chewy texture to the salad.
- Candied pecans: Add the best sweet crunch. I share my recipe for homemade candied pecans below. You could also use regular pecans or walnuts.
- Goat cheese: Feta cheese or gorgonzola would also work if you don’t like goat cheese.
- Dressing: Read more about the tangy dressing I make from scratch for this pear salad below.
Candied Pecans
How to Make Pear Salad
Here is a brief overview of how this pear and goat cheese salad and its dressing come together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and the mayonnaise. This helps prevent the dressing from separating.
- Make the salad dressing. Whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing. For best results, let the dressing rest overnight.
- Put the salad together. Toss together the spinach, sliced pears, dried cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. Serve with the dressing on the side.
Pear Salad Dressing
The tangy dressing that is served with this pear goat cheese salad pairs perfectly with the salad ingredients. This salad dressing is best when it rests, or sits overnight in the refrigerator, which allows the flavors to combine and saves time when you are ready to serve the salad.
Making your own Salad Dressing has many benefits. Not only can you control exactly what is in it, but you can adjust the flavor to be exactly what you want.
- Balsamic vinegar: The flavor-filled concentrated vinegar blends beautifully with the olive oil.
- Mayonnaise: Acts as the emulsifier which prevents the dressing ingredients (specifically the oil and the vinegar) from separating. Adding it won’t change the taste of the dressing at all.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Makes up the bulk of the dressing so it is important to use a good quality oil. Extra virgin olive oil is more pure and less processed than regular olive oil. Because of this, it has a better taste and is better for you, making it the best option for salad dressing.
- Honey mustard: Adds a subtle tang and sweetness to the dressing.
- Garlic: Adds a flavor profile. Be sure to mince it as finely as you can.
- Sugar: Helps to balance the acidity of the other ingredients and enhances the dressing.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Letting Dressing Rest
Making this dressing the day before you plan to serve it not only saves time when you are ready to eat but actually makes the flavor better. The flavors have time to marinate and meld together, and since we are using mayonnaise as an emulsifier, you don’t have to worry about the dressing separating.
Storing Dressing and Leftover Salad
The salad dressing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I recommend tossing the salad just before eating. Leftover salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within a day or two. The pears will brown fairly quickly.
Other Salad Recipes
If you are excited about this recipe for pear salad, try some of my other delicious salad recipes! Perfect as a side or your main dish, the flavors are amazing.
If you make this pear salad recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a comment and let me know!
Pear Salad
Ingredients
For Salad
- 6 cups baby spinach washed
- 2 pears sliced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- 1/4 cup candied pecans
Balsamic Dressing
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (78.86 ml)
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (236.588 ml)
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For Salad
- Toss the salad ingredients together. Serve with the salad dressing on the side.
Balsamic Dressing
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and the mayonnaise.
- Add in the other ingredients and shake or whisk well. For best results, let the dressing sit overnight.
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