Indulge in the irresistible Roasted Pear and Pecan Salad, a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. This delightful salad features perfectly roasted pears, caramelized to perfection, complemented by crunchy pecans, creamy goat cheese, and a drizzle of tangy balsamic dressing. The delicate sweetness of the pears pairs harmoniously with the nutty flavor of the pecans, while the goat cheese adds a creamy richness that balances the tartness of the dressing. Served on a bed of crisp greens, this salad is a feast for both the eyes and the palate.
In addition to the main recipe, this article offers a collection of equally enticing recipes that explore different variations of this classic salad. Discover the equally tempting Roasted Pear and Gorgonzola Salad, where the tangy bite of gorgonzola cheese adds a piquant twist to the mix. For a vegetarian delight, try the Roasted Pear and Avocado Salad, where creamy avocado replaces the goat cheese, creating a luscious and satisfying combination. If you prefer a more substantial meal, the Roasted Pear and Chicken Salad is a protein-packed option that combines tender chicken with the sweet and savory flavors of the salad.
And for those with a sweet tooth, the Roasted Pear and Honeycrisp Apple Salad is a delightful treat that showcases the vibrant crunch of Honeycrisp apples, adding a refreshing touch to the classic combination. Each recipe is carefully crafted to showcase the versatility of roasted pears, offering a range of taste experiences that will leave you craving more.
ROASTED PEAR SALAD
You can roast just about any kind of pear, but for this recipe I prefer the smaller and harder Seckel pears. Once roasted, they'll soften and become surprisingly sweet and floral, a perfect contrast to the salty blue cheese and slightly bitter endive.
Provided by Food Network
Yield Serves 8
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- For the pears, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, drizzle the pears with the olive oil, sprinkle with the sugar and salt, and toss to coat well. Transfer the pears to a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, pecan oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and shallots in a small mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the salad, combine the endive leaves and bitter greens in a large serving bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat well. Wait until just before serving to top with the pears, blue cheese, and pecans.
ROASTED PEAR SALAD
Oven-roasted pears take the ho-hum out of this green salad created by our Test Kitchen staff. They tossed together a good-for-you medley of mellow pear slices, crispy greens, nuts and dried cranberries. The creamy dressing carries yet more pear flavor sweetened with just a touch of honey.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a small bowl, toss pears with 1 teaspoon oil. Place in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Turn pears over; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until golden and tender., When cool enough to handle, peel pears. Thinly slice two pear halves lengthwise and set aside. Place remaining pear halves in a blender. Add the vinegar, water, honey, salt and white pepper; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add the remaining oil in a steady stream., In a large bowl, toss the salad greens, watercress, hazelnuts and cranberries. Arrange reserved pear slices on top; drizzle with dressing.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 174 calories, Fat 9g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 178mg sodium, Carbohydrate 24g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 5g fiber), Protein 3g protein.
ROASTED PEAR AND PECAN SALAD
A light and lovely fresh tasting salad. I had this in a restaurant recently and went about making one myself. I am still playing with variations but judging by how much my DH ate, this one is a winner! I enjoy the cheese and pecans in the salad but you can mix it up and use walnuts and skip the cheese. It all depends on your personal preferences.
Provided by Stormshiver
Categories Pears
Time 20m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 400°C.
- Wash and core Pears, slicing into 1/4 inch wedges (approx. 8 wedges per pear).
- Lay pears on a baking sheet (I line it with parchment paper). Season with the salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the pear wedges over and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes until roasted yet still firm. Cool.
- Wisk together the remaining Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar and Dijon Mustard.
- Pour the mixture over the pears (I like to cut the pears into cubes for bit sized pieces). Mix in the chopped Onion. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mix.
- Add the Pecans and Cheese (if using) just before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 209.5, Fat 14.9, SaturatedFat 2, Sodium 625.4, Carbohydrate 20.9, Fiber 4.3, Sugar 12.7, Protein 0.8
ROASTED PEARS WITH BLUE CHEESE
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
- Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
- In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
- Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.
CHERRY, PEAR, AND PECAN SALAD
This salad is a great complement to the harvest season, boasting seasonal fruit and nut favorites: cherries, pears, and pecans.
Provided by Mommy Epstein
Categories Green Salads
Time 15m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Combine balsamic vinegar and cherry preserves for vinaigrette in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss mixed greens, pears, cherries, pecans, red onion, and vinaigrette in a large salad bowl.
- Evenly distribute salad among four individual salad bowls and top with Gorgonzola cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 577.4 calories, Carbohydrate 43.4 g, Cholesterol 14.9 mg, Fat 43 g, Fiber 7.3 g, Protein 7 g, SaturatedFat 7.4 g, Sodium 165.6 mg
PAN-ROASTED PEAR SALAD WITH WATERCRESS, PARMESAN AND PECANS
Salads can be as simple as throwing together lettuce with some dressing to fabulously delectible and worthy of a special occassion. Here's a fabulously delicious one from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009. Also a fit in the Paleo diet. It takes a little time due to the pears cooling in the balsamic glaze, but utilize the time well and prepare the remainder.
Provided by gailanng
Categories Pears
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- The success to the best salads is to first chill your serving plates. Place salad plates or bowls in the refrigerator while preparing. Simple as that.
- Toss the pears, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pears cut side down in a single layer and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Using a small spatula or fork, tip each pear onto its second cut side; continue to cook until the second side is light brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off the heat, leave the skillet on the burner and add 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar; gently stir until the vinegar becomes glazed and coats the pears, about 30 seconds. Transfer the pears to a large plate and let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cut each pear quarter crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar and shallot together in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce, watercress and cooled pears to the bowl; toss and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad among individual chilled plates; top each with portions of the cheese and nuts.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 702.1, Fat 32.6, SaturatedFat 7.5, Cholesterol 25, Sodium 477.7, Carbohydrate 96.9, Fiber 18.9, Sugar 62.5, Protein 16.6
CANDIED PECAN PEAR SALAD
For special occasions, I like to dress up packaged salad greens with sweet pears, crunchy pecans and a slightly tart pomegranate dressing.-Douglas Wasdyke, Effort, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 12 servings (1 cup each).
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a small heavy skillet, melt butter. Add pecans; cook over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon; cook and stir for 2-4 minutes or until sugar is melted. Spread on foil to cool., For dressing, in a blender, combine 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. , Cut pear into thin slices; sprinkle with lemon juice. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, pears, blue cheese and candied pecans. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 252 calories, Fat 24g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 5mg cholesterol, Sodium 170mg sodium, Carbohydrate 9g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 2g protein.
Tips:
- Use ripe pears: Choose firm but ripe pears for the best flavor and texture. If the pears are too hard, they will be difficult to roast and may not caramelize properly. If they are too soft, they will break down too much during roasting.
- Roast the pears at a high temperature: This will help to caramelize the sugars in the pears and give them a slightly crispy exterior. You want to achieve a tender-crisp texture, so keep an eye on the pears in the oven.
- Use a variety of greens: Arugula, baby spinach, and radicchio are all great choices for this salad. You can also use a pre-mixed salad blend, but be sure to avoid any greens that are too delicate, such as lettuce or watercress.
- Don't overdress the salad: A light vinaigrette is all you need to dress this salad. Too much dressing will overwhelm the delicate flavors of the pears and greens.
- Serve the salad immediately: This salad is best enjoyed fresh. The pears will start to lose their crispness and the greens will wilt if you let the salad sit for too long.
Conclusion:
This roasted pear and pecan salad is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. The combination of sweet and savory flavors is sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you are looking for a healthy and refreshing salad, give this recipe a try!
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