Arugula Pear Salad with Blue Cheese

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Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Salads
Diet: Vegetarian

This simple arugula pear salad with blue cheese and pecans is light, fruity, crunchy, and tossed in a simple maple Dijon vinaigrette. Perfect for fall, winter, or anytime of the year.

Ingredients

Scale

For the arugula pear salad:

2 medium pears, stems and seeds removed then thinly sliced (peeling is optional)
Squeeze of lemon juice (to stop pears from browning)
6 cups (120g) arugula salad
½ small shallot, thinly sliced (optional)
½ cup (65g) pecans, lightly toasted*
3 Tablespoons pomegranate arils
2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
3.5 ounces (100g) blue cheese, crumbled (I used Gorgonzola)

For the dressing:

⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Add the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or in a jar and shake or whisk well. Adjust to taste – more oil to make it creamier, maple syrup for sweet, vinegar for tart.
Cut the pears in half, remove seeds and slice thinly. Drizzle with lemon juice (to stop pears from browning) and toss well.
To assemble the salad, place salad arugula salad in a large bowl with the pear slices, shallots (if using), pomegranate arils, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with half the dressing then toss. Add the blue cheese, and toss gently. Drizzle with more dressing if needed, and serve immediately.

Notes

* You can use either pecans or walnuts. Lightly toast the pecans in a small skillet placed over medium-high heat for a few seconds, shaking the pan often, until pecans are golden and fragrant. Remove immediately to prevent the pecans from burning in contact of the hot skillet.