Mixed Greens Salad with Poached Pears and Spicy Blue Cheese Dressing
A Spiced Twist on a Classic Fall Salad
Hey there! Trying something different today with a classic fall combination: walnuts, blue cheese, and pears. But with a twist - spiced poached fruit! The poaching liquid also plays a major role in the flavorful dressing. Let's dive in!
Game Plan: While tossing everything together works, some ingredients might get lost at the bottom of the bowl. We prefer to serve it composed (a.k.a. arranged) for more even distribution.
What's Needed: To get the most out of this salad, opt for piccante blue cheese. Older and stronger than the sweeter dolce variety, piccante cheese has a washed rind that is thicker and drier, delivering a spicy flavor and strong aroma that complement the vinaigrette.
This recipe was featured as part of our Fall Ingredients recipe roundup.
- Serves: 6 - 8
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients (18)
For the pears:
- 2 1/2 cups fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 medium dried bay leaf
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig (3-1/2 inches)
- 2 medium firm Bosc pears
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon poaching liquid
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad:
- 5 cups mixed escarole and frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 ounces piccante blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
For the pears:
- In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except the pears and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved (approximately 8 minutes).
- Reduce heat to low and add the pears, cooking them on their sides until they are almost entirely submerged. Cook until pears just give when pierced with a knife (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Cool pears in the poaching liquid for 20 minutes, rotating occasionally. After 20 minutes, remove, cut into large dice, and set aside.
For the dressing:
- In a small, non-reactive bowl, whisk poaching liquid, vinegar, measured salt and pepper, and sugar. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil until it's completely incorporated. Adjust seasoning as desired.
To assemble the salad:
- Place greens in a large mixing bowl, add dressing, and toss to coat.
- Divide the greens among serving plates. Top with reserved diced pear, walnuts, and cheese, and serve!
Optional Recipes:- Spiced Pear Salad - Arrange mixed greens in bowls, top with poached pear slices, walnuts, blue cheese, and drizzle with vinaigrette.- Walnut and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pears - Mix chopped walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, and thyme. Stuff poached pears, bake for a few minutes, and serve.- Walnut and Blue Cheese Crusted Pears - Create a walnut-blue cheese crust, coat the poached pears, bake, and serve.- Poached Pear and Walnut Blue Cheese Tartine - Toast bread, top with pear slices, cheese, walnuts, and honey. This recipe transforms the classic ingredients into a simple, flavorful toast dish.
Enjoy your cooking adventure! 🍽️🎉
- For an unique take on a classic fall salad, consider our Spiced Twist on a Classic Fall Salad, featuring uncategorized instructions for piccante blue cheese, poached pears, and a cool vinaigrette.
- If you're unfamiliar with piccante blue cheese, it offers a stronger, spicier flavor than dolce varieties, making it a perfect choice for this salad.
- After preparing the salad, you might want to explore the optional recipes section for additional ways to enjoy the combination of walnuts, blue cheese, and pears, such as a spiced pear salad or walnut and blue cheese stuffed pears.
- As a heads up, we've featured this delicious salad recipe as part of our Aussiedlerbote's Fall Ingredients roundup, so be sure to check it out for more amazing seasonal recipes!
