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awesome maple-balsamic blue cheese pear salad

(4 ratings)
Litehouse9 avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Sher Bird
@Litehouse9
Bellevue, WA

This is an AWESOME, fabulous salad! The dressing is made with real maple syrup, and the salad is dressed with candied pecans, blue cheese, pear slices, and some dried cranberries. The ingredients might sound strange for a salad, but they work wonderfully together - It is SOOO good! I hope you like it as much as my family. Especially great in the fall and for the fall-winter holidays.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

I really love the dressing for this salad. You have a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup balanced out by the acidity from the white balsamic. There are so many textures in this salad your taste buds will be so happy. Crunch from the candied pecans, sweetness from the pears, chewy dried cranberries and creamy blue cheese. This is so good!

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(4 ratings)
yield 5 -6
prep time 10 Min
cook time 5 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For awesome maple-balsamic blue cheese pear salad

  • DRESSING:
  • 1/2 c
    olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp
    white balsamic vinegar (or white wine, or red wine vinegar)
  • 3 Tbsp
    real maple syrup
  • 1 tsp
    Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground black pepper + pinch of salt
  • SALAD:
  • 5 c
    mixed salad greens (of your choice)
  • 1 pkg
    baby spinach
  • 2
    red pears, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2
    red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 c
    crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
  • 1 c
    candied walnuts (*recipe below)
  • 1/4 c
    dried cranberries
  • 1 or 2 pinch
    salt
  • CANDIED PECANS (*OR USE WALNUTS)
  • 1 Tbsp
    butter (not oleo)
  • 1 c
    pecan or walnut halves
  • 1/4 c
    white sugar
  • 1 pinch
    optional: cayenne pepper or smoked paprika

How To Make awesome maple-balsamic blue cheese pear salad

  • 1
    TO MAKE CANDIED NUTS: Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add nuts and sugar. Stir constantly until sugar melts and coats nuts. If desired, add pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • 2
    Place salad greens and spinach, red onion slices, and pear slices into a salad serving bowl. Spread crumbled blue cheese all over, then candied nuts and dried cranberries.
  • 3
    Whisk together all the dressing ingredients until well blended. Pour 2/3 of the dressing over salad in the serving bowl. Toss well to coat salad evenlly. Taste, then if needed-- add some of remaining dressing.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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