Pear Salad Recipe

Are you looking for a light-hearted salad to blow away the hot summer breeze? If you are, check out today’s healthy pear salad recipe. Our chefs combine fresh fruits and vegetables with sweet and sour dressing, offering intriguing flavors and textures. Plus, this fuss-free salad only takes 15 minutes to complete – perfect for busy diners.

Is a Pear Salad Healthy?

Yes, our salad can be part of a healthy diet as it provides an abundance of nutrients – dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant-based protein.

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The crunchiness and subtle sweetness of fresh pear make it versatile for many dishes – savories and desserts. Nutritionally, one large pear (around 8 oz) only includes 133 calories yet provides up to 7.1g of fiber. A high-fiber intake has been shown to support gut health, heart health, and weight loss.

Lettuce, roasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and other toppings also contribute a host of antioxidants to the salad. This includes an abundance of vitamin C from the lettuce and cranberries, polyphenols from the walnuts, and anthocyanins contained in the cranberries.

Overall, our pear salad only yields 230 calories with the amount of saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol strictly kept within the health limits.

Main Ingredients

The ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery stores: a bag of lettuce mix, fresh pears, fennel bulb, nuts, dried fruit, herbs, and spices. Let’s get an insight into all these items, shall we?

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• Pear: This humble fruit lends a sweet and tangy flavor and an enjoyable crunchiness to our salad. When shopping for pears, opt for those with a firm texture, bright color, and free from bruises or blemishes. Our chefs have a small prepping tip for you: Leave the skin on to retain more nutrients.
• Lettuce mix: For convenience, we aim for the pre-packaged lettuce mix as they still work great for this recipe. However, if you want to hand-pick and mix your lettuce, feel free to do so.
• Fennel bulb: This ingredient brings texture and aroma rather than flavor. Fennel bulb possesses a mild liquorice-like fragrance, adding more depth to our pear salad.
• Walnuts: We adore the earthiness followed by a sharp note that walnuts have to offer. If you are a nut-lover, like us, you can add some peanuts, pecans, or cashew too.
• Cheese: For those lactose-intolerant eaters, you can substitute Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast as both taste almost the same – nutty and slightly salty.
• Dried cranberries: The tartness of cranberries pairs excellently with the richness of the cheese. Also, the toppings are customizable, so don’t hesitate to swap cranberries for your favorite dried fruits.
• Dressing: The combination of olive oil, balsamic, Dijon mustard, and honey sharpens our salad with its bold flavor – complex sweetness with a tangy aftertaste.

How to Store Fresh Vegetables and Fruit

• Pear: Depending on your meal plan, you can either refrigerate or freeze them. To save some for salads or juices, place the slices of pear in an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for 3-5 days. If you love the idea of a refreshing glass of pear juice, try out our recipe here. For those who are big fans of smoothies, combine the frozen pears, some ice, and whole milk/nut milk in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Vegetables: We don’t recommend freezing the lettuce and fennel bulbs as they will turn soggy once thawed. You can store these in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days. Still, ensure all of them are completely dry before storing to avoid mushy, wilted veggies.

How to Store the Leftovers

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Our chefs suggest placing the salad and dressing in separate containers to best retain the crunchy texture. To store leftovers, place them in a resealable bag, and keep them fresh in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days.

How to Make Pear Salad

5 from 1 vote

Today's pear salad recipe with fresh fruit and vegetables tossed in a robust balsamic dressing helps fend off the summer heat.

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• cook TIME 10 mins
• prep TIME 5 mins
• total TIME 15 mins

• COURSE Side Dish
• CUISINE American, Global
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 238 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 12 oz pears (sliced)
• 4 oz lettuce mix
• 2 oz fennel bulb (sliced, discard leaves)
• 2 oz raw walnuts (roughly chopped)
• 1 oz dried cranberries
• 0.5 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

PREP:

1

Pear: Rinse pears with cool water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Stabilize the pear on a cutting board and use a sharpened knife to remove the stem. Use the same knife to split it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the core and seeds using the tip of a metal spoon. Discard them. Cut each half into thin slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat the process for the rest of the pears.

2

Lettuce mix: Take the lettuce out of the bag and discard the wilted or damaged leaves. Place the lettuce in a bowl of cool water, gently rubbing the leaves with your hands to remove any dirt. Repeat this process one more time before draining the water out with a salad spinner.

3

Fennel bulb: Use a sharpened knife to cut off the stalks, fronds, and root end. Rinse the fennel bulb under running water and pat it dry. Peel off the tough outer layer. Use the previous knife to split the bulb in half, then slice them.

4

Walnuts: Air-fry the raw walnuts at 300°F for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool before chopping them into bite-sized chunks.

5

Parsley: Place the parsley bunch on a cutting board. Slice off long stems. Chop the parsley.

COOK:

1

Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic, 1 tsp traditional Dijon mustard, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp parsley, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. With a wooden spoon, whisk vigorously until all the ingredients are well combined.

2

Assemble the lettuce: With 4 oz lettuce mix, make a bed of greens on a platter.

3

Combine the salad ingredients: Atop, add 2 oz sliced fennel bulb, 12 oz sliced pears, 1 oz dried cranberries, 2 oz chopped walnuts, and 0.5 oz shredded Parmesan cheese.

4

Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

How to Make Pear Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 238Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g

22%

Saturated Fat 2g

13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 7g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 3mg

1%

Sodium 257mg

11%

Potassium 277mg

8%

Carbohydrate 30g

10%

Fiber 5g

21%

Sugar 19g

21%

Protein 4g

8%

Vitamin A 363IU

7%

Vitamin C 9mg

11%

Calcium 82mg

8%

Iron 1mg

6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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