This salad hits all four key parts that make a salad great: base – spring greens, body – pears & gorgonzola, dressing – sweet & tangy vinaigrette, and garnish – crunchy sugared walnuts. Great salads aren’t hard to make if you keep in mind the four parts and if you take care to use fresh quality ingredients.
Spring Greens with Pears, Sugared Walnuts & Gorgonzola is great as a side, but it’s also good all by itself for a light lunch or supper. It works very well with grilled chicken or steak served right on top as a main dish salad. I served this the other night with the Surf & Turf Kabobs.
Spring Greens with Pears, Sugared Walnuts & Gorgonzola
Ingredients
- 6 cups Spring salad greens
- 2 red pears cored & thinly sliced
- 8 oz. Gorgonzola cheese coarsely crumbled
- Sugared Walnuts:
- 1 c. walnut halves
- 2 T. white sugar
- 2 T. brown sugar
- Dressing:
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Salad: Combine Spring greens and pears in a large salad bowl. Top with cooled sugared walnuts.
- Right before serving, toss salad with desired amount of dressing. Add Gorgonzola crumbles at the very last, tossing lightly to incorporate into the salad.
- Sugared Walnuts: In a small pan, saute walnuts and sugar over medium heat until almonds are caramelized, stirring often (they will be light brown and coated with melted sugar), approximately 4-6 minutes. Spread the walnuts on foil or wax paper. After they cool, break apart.
- For the dressing: Combine ingredients in a jar or container with a lid and shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
I’m Jennifer Locklin, author and owner of Jennifer Cooks. I am a trained chef and passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next.
Leave a Reply