Pear Gorgonzola Salad

5 from 8 reviews

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Pear gorgonzola salad- This salad encompasses the perfect fall/winter flavors with the sweetness of pear the tangy sharpness of gorgonzola, and the comforting flavors of the orange honey mustard vinaigrette – a classic Italian pairing.

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Why I love this salad

I love salads all year round! The best part about salads is… you can make a hundred variations. This is one of my favorite combinations for fall and winter. It is a delicious salad to serve on any occasion.

Enjoy it as a side for a special occasion meal or fancy up a weeknight dinner by adding this as a side to any main dish.

You might also love this Tuna Salad Recipe with Vinaigrette, Christmas Salad, or this orange and fennel salad!

This salad is best paired with our Turkey Meatballs!

Ingredients

The ingredients are wholesome and healthy for this delicious Italian Salad Pears, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola.

Salad:

  • Mixed Italian greens
  • Pears (see pear recommendations)
  • Gorgonzola (see cheese variations)
  • Walnuts (you can leave them out if desired or use pistachios or almonds)

Vinaigrette:

  • Olive oil
  • Fresh orange juice
  • Orange zest
  • Honey
  • Dijon mustard
  • Garlic

Pears: The important thing is to choose pears that are ripe, but still firm. If you can’t find sweet and ripe pears, you can substitute apple for the pear. Make sure to go for thin slices with the pears.

  • Anjou
  • Bosc
  • Bartlett
  • Comice

Cheese: Gorgonzola is a veined blue cheese from Italy made from unskimmed cow’s milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a “bite.” It pairs perfectly with the sweet pears. You could substitute for any of these cheeses, depending on your preferences.

  • Bleu Cheese
  • Stilton
  • Feta
  • Goat Cheese

Salad Greens:  I love to use a traditional Italian mix that you can easily find in pre made bags. You can always create your own mix! Here are some things I like to use.

  • Romaine
  • Red cabbage
  • Arugula
  • Spinach
  • Any other thin, leafy greens

How To Make Pear Gorgonzola Salad

  1. Place all dressing ingredients in a Mason jar and shake vigorously. The dressing can stay at room temperature for up to two hours and up to one week in the refrigerator.
  2. In a large bowl or plater, add the mixed salad. Add the rest of the ingredients on top of the salad. Do not toss.
  3. Add all of the prepared dressing evenly on top of the salad 10 minutes before serving. Do not toss or all the ingredients will fall to the bottom. The dressing will eventually coat the bottom of the salad as it sinks. The salad will toss naturally as it is served. Mangia!
Italian Green Salad Pears, Walnuts, Gorgonzola Orange Honey Vinaigrette on a plate

Recipe Variations

You can easily change this salad with small tweaks to fit your preferences. Try different cheeses, greens, or fruits. You can substitute apple for pear. Try pecans or almonds instead of walnuts. Switch out the orange juice for lemon juice. Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar before you dig in. Add your favorite grilled protein to make it a whole meal!

Best tips for serving salad:

  • Make the dressing up to 2 days ahead of time. Store the dressing in the fridge and let it come to room temperature an hour before serving. Shake the jar and presto! You are ready to dress your salad.
  • Serve the salad on a flat and wide serving platter (as pictured). Ditch the deep salad bowl and serve your salad on a platter for a pretty presentation. This will also help with serving and evenly topping the salad with all the add-in ingredients.
  • Dress the salad 10 minutes before serving, and DO NOT TOSS. When you serve the salad in a shallow and wide serving platter you don’t need to toss the salad. No more digging for all the yummy toppings at the bottom of the bowl! Simply distribute the dressing evenly over the top and the it will seep down to coat all the toppings and salad underneath. Voila!

As guests serve themselves, the salad will stay pretty with the ingredients on top.

Everyone will get a little bit of all the delicious toppings as the get their portions and the salad will be perfectly dressed with the vinaigrette.

Serving Suggestions

This salad goes well with Perfect Pork Tenderloin with Fennel, or Classic Italian Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel Sauce. Serve with a side of homemade brioche bread, or focaccia, and a Simple Italian Apple Cake (one bowl) for dessert!

This salad also makes a great side to go with homemade pizza!

From my Cucina to Your Table. Mangia! Mangia! (Eat!)

Made with Amore, Elena

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Italian Green Salad Pears, Walnuts, Gorgonzola Orange Honey Vinaigrette on a serving plate

Pear Gorgonzola Salad Recipe


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 8 reviews

  • Author: Elena Davis
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

This Pear and Gorgonzola Salad encompasses the perfect flavors with the sweetness of pear and the tangy, sharpness of gorgonzola, and tangy delightful flavor of the orange honey dressing – a classic Italian pairing. Everyone loves this salad. It’s super easy to make. You can toss it up in just a few minutes, so it’s fresh right when you’re ready to serve it.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Orange Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice + zest of one orange
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic cut in quarters

Salad

  • 2 bags (510 g) Italian lettuce mix or spring greens
  • 2 medium pears, cored and diced
  • 5 tablespoons of crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
  • 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Instructions

Citrus and Honey Vinaigrette DRESSING

  1. Place all ingredients in a Mason jar and shake vigorously. The dressing can stay at room temperature for up to two hours and up to one week in the refrigerator.

Salad

  1. In a large salad bowl or plater add the mixed salad.  Add the rest of the ingredients on top of the salad. Do not toss.
  2. Add all of the prepared dressing on evenly on top of the salad 10 minute before serving. Do not toss or all the ingredients will fall to the bottom. The dressing will eventually coat the bottom of the salad as it sinks. The salad will toss naturally as it is served. Mangia!
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: N/A
  • Category: Savory
  • Method: Italian
  • Cuisine: Italian

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About Elena

My dream is to share delicious wholesome recipes that you will share around the table with all your loved ones. The memories surrounded by food are the heart and soul of CucinaByElena.

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19 Comments

  1. I made this salad for Christmas Eve. It was delicious simple and easy thank you Elena. โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ

  2. This was such a refreshing salad. The ingredients are simple but it comes together flawlessly and packs a lot of flavor! My family loved it!

  3. I made this salad for thanksgiving last year and loved it! I have been making it ever since, I love the orange salad dressing!!! So fresh!

  4. I made this elegant and beautiful salad as an accompaniment to everything on Thanksgiving. It was a huge hit! The orange vinaigrette is lovely. I highly recommend this salad anytime of the year.

    1. So happy you loved it! It does make a beautiful presentation. You should try the orange, fennel, and pomegranate recipe for your holiday parties. Enjoy.

  5. This is my familyโ€™s new favorite salad! We have made a similar salad for years, but this homemade dressing takes it over the top!, thank you Elena! Love your website, recipes, instagram, stories! Love it all!

  6. I LOVE this salad. The citrus based dressing is divine, and the blue cheese in combination with the pears makes for a party in your mouth. I donโ€™t love walnuts so I used pecans instead.