Winter Green Salad Pear Walnuts (Printable)
A fresh blend of winter greens, sliced pears, and candied walnuts with a tangy dressing, perfect for a light meal.
# What You Need:
→ Greens
01 - 4 cups mixed winter greens (arugula, baby spinach, frisée, or kale)
→ Fruit
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
→ Candied Walnuts
03 - 1 cup walnut halves
04 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
06 - Pinch of sea salt
→ Cheese
07 - 2 oz crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese (optional)
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
11 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and walnuts, stir frequently until sugar melts and coats walnuts, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt, transfer to parchment paper, and cool completely.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine mixed winter greens with the thinly sliced pears.
04 - Incorporate the cooled candied walnuts and crumbled cheese if using.
05 - Drizzle dressing over salad components and toss gently until evenly coated.
06 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra walnuts or cheese.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Takes barely 20 minutes from start to finish, with most of that being prep you can do while chatting with someone in your kitchen.
- The candied walnuts steal the show—they're sweet, salty, and addictive enough to make you question whether salad can actually be indulgent.
- Works as a starter, a light lunch, or that thing you bring to dinner when you're not sure what else to contribute.
02 -
- Let those candied walnuts cool completely on parchment before breaking them apart—they'll firm up and stay crunchy, not turn into one sticky clump.
- Dress the salad at the last possible moment, or the greens will start to wilt and the pears will release too much liquid.
- Buy pears a day or two before you plan to make this and let them sit on your counter—they'll be infinitely better than cold, hard ones straight from the fridge.
03 -
- Make extra candied walnuts and store them—they're dangerously good straight from the container, and you'll find yourself sprinkling them on soups, cheese boards, and even into yogurt.
- Whisk the dressing in a jar with a tight lid so you can shake it up if it separates, and keep it at room temperature so it doesn't dull the greens when you toss.