Pear Gorgonzola Salad (Printable)

Sweet pears with tangy Gorgonzola, crisp greens, walnuts, and honey-balsamic dressing. Perfect starter or light meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
04 - 0.5 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
05 - 0.25 cup dried cranberries

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss the mixed greens gently with half of the prepared vinaigrette to lightly coat.
03 - Arrange the sliced pears, crumbled Gorgonzola, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries over the dressed greens in an attractive pattern.
04 - Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the composed salad immediately before serving.
05 - Present the salad immediately while greens are crisp and components are at optimal temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes flat, which means you can impress people without spending your whole day in the kitchen.
  • The contrast between creamy Gorgonzola and crisp, sweet pears hits every taste bud at once—it's the kind of salad that makes people ask for the recipe.
  • One bowl, minimal cleanup, and it works whether you're feeding yourself or four guests at the table.
02 -
  • Slice your pears no more than 10 minutes before serving, or they'll start to brown and oxidize—a little lemon juice rubbed on the cut side buys you maybe 15 minutes if you're in a pinch.
  • Cold plates make everything taste better; pop them in the freezer for five minutes before you serve if you have the forethought.
03 -
  • Make the dressing in the bottom of your salad bowl, then add the greens directly—one fewer dish to wash and the greens pick up extra flavor as you toss them.
  • If you're serving this to vegetarians specifically, double-check that your Gorgonzola is made with vegetable rennet, since some blue cheeses use animal rennet.
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