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Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pear salad with balsamic vinaigrette pairs crisp spring mix and thinly sliced ripe pears with toasted walnuts and crumbled blue cheese. A tangy homemade dressing brings the sweet, savory ingredients together just before serving.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the vinaigrette
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.125 tsp ground black pepper
  • 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad
  • 5 oz spring mix
  • 2 pears ripe but firm, cored and thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup walnuts toasted
  • 0.33 cup blue cheese crumbled

Method
 

Make the vinaigrette
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper; slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined.
Assemble the salad
  1. Place the spring mix in a large serving bowl and top with the sliced pears, toasted walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese.
  2. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette and toss gently just before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, toss the salad with the vinaigrette just before serving. Store undressed salad components and vinaigrette separately in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; the vinaigrette alone keeps for up to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended. For a milder flavor, swap the blue cheese for feta.