Pomegranate Pear Salad
Our Pomegranate Pear Salad is a showstopper! Sweet pear slices, crisp greens, blue cheese chunks, sugary pecans and bright red, jewel-like pomegranate arils. A lemon Dijon vinaigrette brings it all together.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- ¼ small red onion thinly sliced
- 2 pears halved, cored and fan-sliced
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 4 ounce blue cheese crumbled
- ½ cup candied pecans
For the Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Toss the salad greens and onion slices together in a bowl.
- Cut each pear in half and remove the core. Lay one pear half, flesh side down on a cutting board and make cuts from about 1/2-inch from top to the bottom of the pear. Press lightly on the pear to fan it out then slide your knife beneath it and transfer it to the salad greens. Continue with the remaining pear halves.
- Spoon the pomegranate arils (also called pips or seeds), blue cheese crumbles and the candied pecans on the salad greens.
For the Vinaigrette:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small jelly jar and shake vigorously to combine.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top the salad or on individual servings.
Notes
Choose ripe pears: Use any variety you like. Just make sure they’re sweet and ripe, but not mushy.
Prevent browning: Dip the sliced pears in lemon water, then blot dry with a paper towel before adding to the salad.
Swap the cheese: Blue cheese pairs well with pears, but goat cheese (fresh or aged) is a great substitute.
Go light on the vinaigrette: The dressing makes about 1 cup, but you’ll only need about ⅓ to ½ cup. Refrigerate the rest for 1–2 weeks.
Nutrition note: Nutrition information does not include the vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 413mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 924IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 185mg | Iron: 1mg
