This Roasted Pear Salad is salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami, from the walnuts and Parmesan cheese. Perfect as an appetizer, side, or entree.
My husband and I like to eat salads. Often, and all year long. That's right, salads can be a fall and winter thing too - just dress them up with seasonal or storage veggies (think roasted root veggies) or whatever you have left in your freezer from the summer.
I make this Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts all fall long because we always have an abundance of pears from the pear tree in our own backyard.
We also like to eat local produce as much as possible, which is why I always sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and plant a garden. From Spring to Fall, I eat almost exclusively local veggies - they have either been grown on a farm 62 miles from my home, or right in my backyard.
I'll admit, I'm not really all that exciting when it comes to the salads I make. I have 3 main ones that I make on a regular rotation, with a few new finds every now and then.
But I keep coming back to the same salads that I love over and over again, and this is one of them. I love that it includes all the main tastes - sweet from the roasted pears, salty and umami from the Parmesan, a tiny bit of bitter from the walnuts, and sour from the vinaigrette.
I also love that it's simple to make. The ingredient list for the dressing is minimal, and the salad itself is easy to prepare. The only component that's only slightly time-consuming is the skillet-roasted pears, and they can be made ahead of time if you're in a rush.
How to make Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts
Making this easy and delicious fall salad starts with prepping and skillet-roasting the pears. I like to use pears that are fairly firm so they don't fall apart when they're cooking.
First cut the pears in half and remove the core and stem. Then cut each half into slices and toss them with a little sugar (this helps them brown). Place the sliced pears into a non-stick skillet with a little butter and saute them until they're browned (avoid using a regular stainless steel skillet, as the pears will stick to it).
The rest of the salad is very easy. The simple vinaigrette is only 4 ingredients (vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil), and can be made by hand with a whisk.
Then simply divide the lettuce among your serving bowls, top it with the pear slices, shaved Parmesan, and toasted walnuts, and drizzle each with the dressing.
Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts Ingredients
- Medium, firm pears - using pears that are too soft may cause them to fall apart when cooking.
- Granulated sugar - this helps the pears to brown when they're cooking.
- Unsalted butter - or use salted butter if that's all you have.
- White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar - red wine vinegar would work too, but the dressing would have a darker color.
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil - or use a neutral-flavored oil like canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil.
- Salad greens like baby arugula, spinach, or mixed greens
- Parmesan cheese - I like to use a vegetable peeler to shave my Parmesan into "ribbons" for this salad.
- Toasted walnuts
Want more fall salad recipes?
Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for a single appetizer or side-sized salad (¼ of the recipe). To make this salad as an entree (I do it all the time), just double the portion size (one recipe will serve two) and all the numbers on the Nutrition Facts.
Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts
Equipment
- Medium nonstick skillet
Ingredients
Roasted Pears
- 2 medium firm pears
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salad
- 8 cups salad greens like baby arugula, spinach, or mixed greens
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler
- ½ cup toasted walnuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
Roasted Pears
- Wash 2 medium firm pears and cut into quarters. Remove core and stem. Cut each quarter into 3 slices and toss with 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar. Melt 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add pear slices. Cook until pears are browned on one side, 5-7 minutes. Flip pears and continue to cook until browned on the other side, 4-5 minutes (pears will take longer to cook if they're very unripe, and will cook more quickly if very ripe). Transfer to a plate to cool.
Dressing
- Whisk 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper together in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in 2 Tablespoons olive oil while continuing to whisk. Set aside.
Salad
- Divide 8 cups salad greens into individual bowls (2 large bowls for entree-sized portions, 4 smaller bowls for appetizer or side dish-sized portions). Divide pear slices among bowls and arrange on top of the greens. Divide shaved Parmesan and ½ cup toasted walnuts among bowls and sprinkle on top of roasted pears and greens. Drizzle dressing on each salad and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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