Winter Green Pear Walnuts (Printable)
A vibrant mix of winter greens, slices of pear, and toasted walnuts with a tangy dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Salad
01 - 3.5 oz baby kale or mixed winter greens
02 - 3.5 oz arugula
03 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
04 - 2.1 oz walnuts, roughly chopped
05 - 2.1 oz crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese (optional)
06 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - Seeds of 1 pomegranate (optional)
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
10 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss together baby kale, arugula, sliced pears, red onion, pomegranate seeds if using, and cooled walnuts.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
04 - Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine evenly.
05 - Top salad with crumbled blue or goat cheese if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It comes together faster than you'd think, and every bite feels bright even when it's gray outside.
- The textures play off each other beautifully, crisp, creamy, crunchy, all in one forkful.
02 -
- Don't dress the salad until you're ready to eat, the vinegar will make the greens soggy if it sits for more than a few minutes.
- If your pears are a little underripe, let them sit on the counter for a day or two, the flavor difference is worth the wait.
03 -
- If you don't have pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries or chopped dates add a similar sweet-tart chewiness.
- For a richer dressing, whisk in a teaspoon of tahini or a dollop of Greek yogurt, it adds body and a subtle creaminess that clings to the greens.