Serve this pear salad with dried cranberries, walnuts and homemade balsamic vinegar this fall.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 pears, sliced thin (Bartlett's work well, but any will do)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 ounces gorgonzola or shaved Parmesan cheese
- 5-6 cups or (1) 5-ounce bag of salad greens (spring mix, spinach, lettuce)
- Balsamic dressing (store-bought or see below for make-your-own)
Homemade Balsamic Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoon finely diced shallot (or substitute onion with a pinch of garlic powder)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash greens and put into salad bowl along with sliced pears.
- If serving immediately, toss with balsamic dressing (otherwise serve dressing on the side).
- Top with dried cranberries, walnuts and cheese.
Nutrition (per serving)
325 Calories; 25 g Fat; 5 g Sat; 20 g Carbohydrates; 5 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 156 mg Sodium
Heather's Healthy Hints
- This is one of my favorite fall salads with pears, walnuts and cranberries. A little sprinkle of cheese goes a long way. I like using gorgonzola, but for a subtler taste try shaved Parmesan.
Download a PDF version of this salad.
Find more family-friendly recipes and healthy eating tips in the Cooking Up Health section of D-H Health and Wellness.
Heather Wolfe, MPH, RDN, LD, CHC, is one of the Live Well/Work Well health and wellness (Dartmouth-Hitchcock's employee wellness program) coaches specializing in nutrition.