Best 5 Watercress Pear And Walnut Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing Recipes

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Ready your taste buds for a culinary adventure with the Watercress, Pear, and Walnut Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing, an extraordinary dish that combines refreshing, crunchy, and nutty textures with a burst of delicate flavors. This enticing salad features crisp watercress, juicy pears, and crunchy walnuts, all tossed in a delightful poppy seed dressing.

The poppy seed dressing is the crowning glory of this salad, bringing together a symphony of flavors with its creamy texture, tangy sweetness, and subtle nutty flavor. Made with a blend of poppy seeds, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, this dressing perfectly complements the salad's ingredients, creating a harmonious balance of flavors. As you savor each bite, the poppy seeds add a delightful crunch and a subtle nutty flavor that lingers on your palate.

This salad offers a delightful combination of textures, with the crispness of the watercress, the juicy sweetness of the pears, and the crunchy bite of the walnuts coming together in perfect harmony. The fresh, peppery taste of the watercress is a perfect match for the sweetness of the pears, while the walnuts add a contrasting crunch and a nutty richness.

With its vibrant colors and tantalizing flavors, this Watercress, Pear, and Walnut Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a true feast for the senses. It's not only delicious but also visually stunning, making it a perfect dish to impress your guests or simply enjoy as a refreshing and satisfying meal.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

WATERCRESS CITRUS SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE-POPPY SEED DRESSING



Watercress Citrus Salad with Pomegranate-Poppy Seed Dressing image

Provided by Bobby Flay

Categories     side-dish

Time 20m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon clover honey
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
2 navel oranges, segmented, juices caught over a bowl
1 red grapefruit, segmented, juices caught over a bowl
1 pound jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 bunches watercress, stems discarded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Steps:

  • Whisk together the pomegranate juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, lime and orange zest and poppy seeds in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.
  • Put the citrus in a bowl; add the jicama and watercress. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved citrus juices and some of the pomegranate dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and garnish with the pomegranate seeds.

WATERCRESS, PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING



Watercress, Pear and Walnut Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing image

Categories     Salad     Fruit     Leafy Green     Mustard     Nut     No-Cook     Thanksgiving     Quick & Easy     Vinegar     Pear     Walnut     Fall     Honey     Watercress     Bon Appétit

Yield Serves 8

Number Of Ingredients 8

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup corn oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 large bunches watercress, trimmed
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
2 pears, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Steps:

  • Whisk vinegar, mustard and honey in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in poppy seeds. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Toss watercress and walnuts in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 8 plates. Toss pears with 1/4 cup dressing in small bowl. Spoon pears atop salads.

WATERCRESS, ROCKET, SWEET PEAR, WALNUT AND PARMESAN SALAD



Watercress, Rocket, Sweet Pear, Walnut and Parmesan Salad image

Provided by Jamie Oliver

Time 15m

Number Of Ingredients 0

Steps:

  • What a pukka combination, simple and classy. Don't try to make this when you feel like it, make it when you can buy perfect pears, otherwise it will taste naff. For 1 person I normally use around 1/2 a pear, 2 big handfuls of watercress and 2 big handfuls of rocket. If the pear skins are nice I just give them a wash, if not I remove them with a peeler. Then cut them in 1/2 and deseed. It doesn't really matter how you cut them up. Sometimes in big rough chunks, maybe sliced up or even grated. Then place into a bowl with the watercress and rocket. The pepperiness of the leaves works so well with the sweetness of the pear. Drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil just to coat, a small squeeze of lemon juice (because the pear juice is slightly acidic but very tasty), and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss all this together and serve. Shave over Parmesan or pecornio, crumble your nuts over and tuck in. I love this salad with roasted meat or as a starter on its own.

PEAR, ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS SALAD



Pear, Endive and Watercress Salad image

Categories     Salad     Vegetarian     Goat Cheese     Pear     Winter     Endive     Bon Appétit

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 12

6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs from sourdough bread (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup walnut oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pears, cored, thinly sliced
4 heads Belgian endive, thinly sliced
2 bunches watercress, trimmed
2 cups walnuts, toasted

Steps:

  • Slice goat cheese into 6 equal portions; form each into ball. Flatten cheese balls into 2-inch-diameter rounds. Place breadcrumbs in shallow dish. Coat cheese rounds completely with breadcrumbs. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
  • Mix vinegar, garlic clove, shallot and Dijon mustard in blender. With machine running, gradually add walnut oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cheese rounds to skillet and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cheese rounds to paper towels; let drain completely.
  • Toss pears, endive and watercress in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. Sprinkle walnuts over salads. Place 1 goat cheese round in center of each salad and serve.

WATERCRESS, PEAR AND GORGONZOLA SALAD



Watercress, Pear and Gorgonzola Salad image

Mellow pears contrast the strong flavors of gorgonzola in this bright, lightly creamy salad. It's all finished with a sweet-tart dressing of onion, mustard and red wine vinegar. It makes a lovely first course, or simply treat it as two servings, rather than four, and serve it as a light lunch.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories     easy, quick, weekday, salads and dressings

Time 5m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cippolini or other sweet onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Sea salt
ground white pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces watercress (about 1 bunch), thick stems removed
4 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced into 16 small slabs
2 ripe pears, cored, quartered and cut in wedges, or 4 fresh figs, quartered

Steps:

  • Combine the onion, mustard, vinegar, honey, lemon juice and grapeseed oil in a food processor or blender. Purée until onion is very fine. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil.
  • Rinse and dry the watercress. In a large bowl, season watercress with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Arrange cheese and fruit on four salad plates and top with watercress.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 468, UnsaturatedFat 32 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 42 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 490 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams

Tips:

  • For a more pronounced peppery flavor, use wild watercress instead of cultivated watercress.
  • To save time, use pre-chopped nuts and dried cranberries.
  • For a sweeter salad, use ripe pears. For a tarter salad, use unripe pears.
  • If you don't have poppy seeds, you can substitute sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.
  • To make a vegan version of the dressing, use maple syrup instead of honey.

Conclusion:

This watercress, pear, and walnut salad with poppy seed dressing is a delicious and refreshing salad that is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. The watercress is peppery, the pears are sweet, and the walnuts add a crunchy texture. The poppy seed dressing is light and tangy, and it perfectly complements the flavors of the salad. This salad is also a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

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