This Roasted Pear Salad is salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami, thanks to 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 Pinterest 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.
Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts
Ingredients
Roasted Pears
- 2 medium firm pears
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon white wine or apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
Salad
- 8 cups salad greens
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Roasted Pears
- Wash pears and cut into quarters. Remove core and stem. Cut each quarter into 3 slices and toss with the sugar. Melt 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 vinegar, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to whisk. Set aside.
Salad
- Place salad greens in 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 walnuts and Parmesan among bowls and sprinkle on top of roasted pears and greens. Drizzle dressing on each salad and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Roasted Pear Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts Nutrition Notes:
The above nutrition information 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.
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