Description
Mediterranean pear and arugula delight offers a crisp salad with balanced flavors between peppery greens and sweet fruit. Creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts complete this elegant dish you can savor with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 oz (141 g) arugula
- 3 pears, any variety
- 4 to 5 oz (113 to 142 g) goat cheese
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup (60 g) pecans, toasted and cooled
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Onion Preparation: Submerge red onions in ice water for 10 minutes to reduce pungency, drain, and gently dry with a paper towel.
- Dressing Creation: Combine extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper in a sealed jar. Shake vigorously until ingredients blend smoothly and develop a cohesive consistency.
- Salad Assembly: Layer a wide platter with fresh arugula, creating a lush green foundation. Artfully arrange thinly sliced pears in an elegant, overlapping pattern across the greens.
- Flavor and Texture Enhancement: Scatter softened onion rings, crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans across the salad, ensuring even distribution and visual appeal.
- Final Touch: Quickly re-emulsify the dressing by shaking, then gracefully drizzle over the salad just before serving to maintain the ingredients’ vibrant colors and crisp textures.
Notes
- Tame Onion Bite: Soak raw red onions in ice water for 10 minutes to reduce their sharp, overpowering taste, ensuring a milder, more pleasant flavor in your salad.
- Emulsify Dressing Perfectly: Seal all dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously to create a smooth, well-blended vinaigrette that coats every ingredient evenly.
- Layer with Precision: Spread arugula as a full base, arrange pear slices in an elegant overlapping pattern, and distribute softened onion rings strategically for visual and taste appeal.
- Dress Just Before Serving: Re-shake the dressing quickly and drizzle immediately before eating to maintain the salad’s crisp texture and vibrant appearance, preventing wilting and soggy ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 272
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 116 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg