Juicy, ripe pears, toasted walnuts, feta, and dried cranberries star in this Pear Salad recipe, all tied together with a zippy maple vinaigrette. It’s a gorgeous, fresh autumn salad that’s perfect for holiday get togethers or as a side for a fall or winter dinner.
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Why You’ll Love This Simple Pear Salad Recipe
- A Green Salad for Fall and Winter. We all need some backpocket side salads, like this Arugula Salad recipe. This pear salad is light enough that you can use it to round out a meal, but add sliced Air Fryer Chicken Breast and you’ve got yourself a healthy main dish salad. It’s also fabulous enough to bring to a holiday get together or dinner party.
- The Perfect Balance of Flavors. We’ve got sweet, savory, nutty, tangy, salty, and tart in this pear salad recipe, with every flavor in perfect harmony with the rest. (Apple Walnut Salad and Spinach Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing have similar vibes!)
- Easy to Make. Salads always seem like they’ll be simple, but washing and cutting all those veggies can be a real slog. This salad using pears, however, is incredibly easy to put together because the only produce you need to prep is the fresh pear.
How to Make Pear Salad
The Ingredients
For the Salad:
- Nuts. Raw pecans or walnuts work best in this pear salad recipe.
- Pear. I like to use a Bartlett or Anjou pear, which are succulent and sweet.
- Spring Mix. Or your favorite bagged salad greens.
- Crumbled Feta. Goat cheese and blue cheese (or even a pear and gorgonzola salad) would be fab too, or if you prefer something a little less funky, use sharp cheddar cut into small cubes.
- Dried Cranberries. AKA Craisins.
For the Dressing:
- Shallot. The acid in the dressing helps tame the raw flavor.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar. The base of our zippy vinaigrette.
- Pure Maple Syrup. For sweetness and that irresistible maple flavor. Honey also works well in a dressing for pear salad.
- Dijon Mustard. To punch up the taste and add some complexity.
The Directions
- Toast the Nuts. Spread them on a sheet pan and roast them at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to a cutting board and chop.
- Make the Dressing. Whisk it together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Assemble. Add the greens to a bowl, along with half of the pears, feta, cranberries, and pecans.
- Add Dressing. Add just enough to lightly moisten the greens.
- Finish. Add the remaining pears, feta, cranberries, and pecans. Toss to coat and season to taste. Serve pear salad with the remaining dressing on the side and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Pear Salad
- Chicken. This salad pairs perfectly with Baked Chicken Legs or Smoked Chicken Breast.
- Pork. Pork Chops With Apples (another fall fruit!) and Baked Pork Tenderloin would both be excellent.
- Soup. The fall flavors in this pear salad make it a great match for Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup.
- Sandwiches. Prefer a sandwich with your salad? This Chickpea Salad Sandwich is a delicious vegetarian lunch option.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make Sure the Pear Is Ripe. The sweetness and texture of the pear can make or break this salad. We want it ripe enough that it’s juicy, supremely sweet, and almost buttery in texture. A ripe Bartlett pear is golden in color, while green and red Anjou pears are ripe when you can press near the stem and there’s a slight give.
- Don’t Burn the Nuts. You know how sometimes you can eat something that’s burnt and it’s not terrible? Burnt nuts are TERRIBLE and taste like literal trash. Keep an eye on the nuts near the end of the baking time and remove them from the pan immediately.
- Be Conservative With the Dressing. Start with a small amount of dressing and add more as needed. If you add too much vinaigrette, the lettuce leaves will wilt.
- You Can Make It Ahead. Whether you’re making this pear salad for meal prep or Thanksgiving, you can easily get a head start. (Download my Thanksgiving menu guide for more tips on how to plan your meal for the big day!) You can toast the nuts and make the dressing up to 3 days in advance, but don’t assemble, add the dressing, or cut the pear until just before serving for maximum freshness.
Introducing the perfect fall side: pear salad with walnuts, feta, and cranberries, tossed in a maple apple cider vinaigrette. Easy and delish!
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Ingredients
For the Salad
- ½ cup raw pecans or walnuts
- 1 large ripe Bartlett or Anjou pear cored and thinly sliced
- 5 ounces spring mix or greens of choice
- ½ cup crumbled feta about 2 ounces
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
For the Dressing
- 1 small shallot minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the walnuts into a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the nuts smell fragrant and toasty and they are crisp. Immediately transfer to a cutting board to cool. Roughly chop.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: shallot, oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper. The mixture will be pretty thick.
- In a large serving bowl, place the greens, along with half each of the pears, feta, cranberries, and pecans.
- With a spoon, scoop enough of the shallot dressing into the bowl to lightly moisten the salad. Toss to coat. If the salad seems dry, continue to spoon on small amounts of the dressing, tossing after each, until it’s lightly coated but not sopping (it’s easy to overdress!).
- Sprinkle the remaining pears, feta, cranberries, and pecans over the salad, then very lightly toss once more. Taste and add a bit of additional salt if desired. Enjoy immediately, with any remaining dressing on the side for serving as desired.
Notes
- Adapted from my Apple Walnut Salad
- TO STORE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing on the side and toss before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 5gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 17mgPotassium: 211mgFiber: 3gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 503IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 1mg
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I wasn’t sure how pears would taste in a salad, but this turned out delicious! I’m hooked on this salad! The pears added just the right touch of sweetness, and everything else came together so nicely. It’s a nice change from my usual salads. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Glad to hear! Thank you Ashley!
I made this salad for dinner tonight & my hubby and I both loved it! I think it will go on our Thanksgiving table! I omitted the cranberries since I’m just not a fan, but with that deviation, this salad is awesome! Thank you, Erin!
Glad to hear! Thank you Corie!
These flavors really go well together! If you’ve got some nice sweet pears and good quality feta cheese you’re really going to love this! The dressing is really good too, very simple but delicious. I will not change a thing for this recipe.
Great to hear, thank you Aurora!