Pear Salad with blue cheese

Pear Salad with blue cheese

from recipetineats.com

Classic combination of ingredients, cheeseboard favourites transformed in salad form with the addition of pepper rocket lettuce!Ideal to serve as a starter, light lunch or as a side for a main that's not too rich.We go light on the dressing here because the blue cheese and juice from the pears act as part of the dressing. See Note 1 for my recommende blue cheeses.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 – 2 pears, any type, juicy and ripe (or nashi pears or sweet apples)
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, whole (sub almonds, pecans)
  • 120g / 4oz rocket/arugula lettuce
  • 120g / 4 oz roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton or other good blue cheese, creamy but can be crumbled into chunks (Note 1)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

  1. 1

  2. 2

    Dressing: Shake Dressing in a jar.

  3. 3

    Pears: Halve then scoop out core. Place cut face down and slice into 3mm / 0.12" slices. (Note 2)

  4. 4

    Walnuts: Spread on tray and toast in a 180°C/350°F oven for 8 minutes or until they smell nutty. Leave some whole, break some in half with hands.

  5. 5

    Dress rocket: In a large bowl, toss rocket with 2 tbsp Dressing.

  6. 6

    Assemble: Pile 1/3 rocket on a platter. Scatter with 1/3 pears, 1/3 walnuts, 1/3 blue cheese crumbled into small chunks. Repeat twice more. Drizzle with remaining Dressing just before serving.