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a pear and green salad on a white plate.
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5 from 9 votes

Roasted Pear Salad with Goat Cheese

Roasted Pear Salad with Goat Cheese is perfect for fall and winter, the start of pear season.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 551kcal
Author: Paige
Cost: $15-$25.00

Equipment

  • non-stick skillet
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • spatula
  • knife
  • parchment paper

Ingredients

  • Serves 4
  • FOR THE PAN ROASTED PEARS
  • 3 Bartlett Pears, quartered and cored
  • 2 ½ teaspoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon leek
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 cups butter lettuce
  • ½ radicchio, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup parsley, flat leaf (Italian), roughly chopped
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  • candied walnuts, recipe follows
  • CANDIED NUTS
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, raw
  • ¼ cup sugar, superfine
  • 1 tbsp. butter, unsalted

Instructions

  • PAN ROAST THE PEARS
  • Toss the pears with 2 teaspoons of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl
  • Heat a medium (12 inch) non-stick skillet, melt the butter and place the pears in the pan, cut side down in a single layer on medium-high heat
  • Cook pears until the sides are golden, about 2-4 minutes per side, carefully turning with a small spatula to caramelize the other cut sides, another 2-4 minutes each.
  • Turn heat off and with the skillet still sitting on the burner, add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, gently coating the pears with the glaze
  • Remove the pears carefully from the pan and transfer to a plate or dish to cool for 30 minutes before plating
  • Make the vinaigrette In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, the honey, and chopped leek.
    Season with salt and pepper.
  • Tear the lettuce radicchio and parsley into pieces and add to the medium bowl with the vinaigrette, and toss gently.
    Divide the lettuce mixture between 4 individual serving plates, and top each portion with 2-3 pieces of the pan roasted pear, the candied walnuts, and the goat cheese.
    Drizzle with any remaining sauce from the bowl.
    Serve immediately.
  • MAKE THE CANDIED NUTS
  • Melt the butter In a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.
    Add the sugar and nuts, gently combining everything together using a non-stick spatula.
  • Continue cooking, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat lower if necessary to avoid burning.
    As the sugar/butter mixture turns dark and syrupy, continue tossing the mixture gently in the pan to coat all the nuts. The process takes about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer the nuts to a piece of parchment paper or non-stick wax paper and let them cool until ready to use

Notes

  • Eat the roasted pears with yogurt and granola for breakfast!
  • Serve the roasted pears with roasted meats like pork or chicken
  • How about putting some on your oatmeal with maple syrup?
  • The salad would be perfect with thin sliced grilled chicken breast too.
  • It's also super easy to tote this salad to work—pack up the components separately and assemble just before eating. (Bring extra for your hungry co-workers!)

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 2544IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg