Spiced Pear Greens Salad (Printable)
Sweet spiced pears paired with fresh greens, nuts, and tangy vinaigrette for a fresh, balanced dish.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pears
01 - 2 ripe pears, cored and sliced
02 - 2 tsp honey
03 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 tsp ground ginger
05 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Greens
06 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, baby kale)
→ Nuts & Cheese
07 - 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
08 - 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta (optional)
→ Vinaigrette
09 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
12 - 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced pears, honey, cinnamon, and ginger. Sauté gently for 5–7 minutes until pears are tender and lightly caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup or honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
03 - Lay mixed salad greens evenly on a large serving platter or individual plates.
04 - Top greens with warm spiced pears. Sprinkle chopped nuts and crumbled cheese over the salad if using.
05 - Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad just before serving. Toss lightly if preferred.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast of warm, caramelized pears against cool, crisp greens is genuinely addictive.
- It comes together in under 30 minutes, so you can impress people without much fuss.
- The spices transform simple fruit into something that tastes like you spent hours on it.
02 -
- Don't skip the cooling step for the pears—that slight warm-to-cool transition is what makes this dish feel special and prevents the greens from wilting.
- Dress the salad right before eating; the vinaigrette will soften the greens if it sits too long, and you'll lose that satisfying contrast.
03 -
- If your pears are slightly underripe, they'll hold their shape better and cook more evenly—perfectly ripe ones can fall apart a little, which isn't a disaster but changes the texture.
- Toasting the nuts yourself (if you have time) makes a visible difference; just a few minutes in a dry skillet brings out oils and depth that bagged nuts sometimes lack.