Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette is one of our favorite fall salads. I start this salad by using a food processor to make my homemade raspberry vinaigrette. Then, I drizzle it all over spring greens tossed with blue cheese, pears, walnuts, and raspberries. We like this salad for several reasons. First of all, I like that I can make this pear salad ahead of time. I like to make the salad early in the day, and then add the dressing right before dinner. Secondly, I like that I can make this beautiful salad in just about twenty minutes. Thirdly, I like that I can turn this into a main dish salad by adding some roasted chicken to it. And, lastly, we all love the sweet raspberries and pears, the salty blue cheese, the crispy walnuts, and the tart vinaigrette.
The Equipment I Used
- A Food Processor- I used this to puree my raspberries for the vinaigrette.
- A Salad Spinner- Use this to dry your salad greens. If the greens are wet, the dressing won’t cling to it.
The Ingredients Needed for Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Lettuce- I use a spring green mix from Earth Bound Farms.
- Pears- I used a Bartlett pear.
- Raspberries- Use fresh raspberries for this salad.
- Blue Cheese- You can store any leftover blue cheese in the freezer for the next time you need it.
- Walnuts- Toasting your walnuts brings out their flavor, but it’s not necessary.
How I Made my Salad
- First, I toasted my nuts and then let them cool. To do this I heated a skillet on low heat and toasted the nuts for about five minutes. Be sure to watch the nuts so that they don’t burn.
- Then, I made the vinaigrette.
- Next, I tossed everything together in a big bowl.
- Finally, I drizzled on the vinaigrette.
If you like fruity tossed salads, you need to try this fresh and light Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.
Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 4 cups spring greens lettuce
- 1 Bartlett pear, cut in thin wedges
- ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup sliced red onions
- ½ cup chopped and toasted walnuts
For the Raspberry Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
- 1 tbsp. honey
- ¼ cup raspberries
Instructions
- Begin by making the Raspberry Vinaigrette: Blend all the ingredients together in the food processor.
- Toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl and then add as much dressing as you like and toss some more.
