Italian Salad Pears, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola

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

I love salads all year around! 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 for 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.

Simple Ingredients

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
• Salt and Pepper

What pears are best for a salad?

When pears are in season and are perfectly juicy and ripe, that is when this salad truly shines. If you can’t find pears that are sweet and ripe, you can substitute apple for the pear. Some of my favorites include Anjou, Bosc, Bartlett and Comice varieties. The important thing is to choose pears that are ripe, but still firm. You can gently squeeze the pear, it should have a bit of give if it’s firm. Avoid soft pears, as they can get mushy in the salad.

What cheese is best for this salad?

The cheese in this recipe is gorgonzola. Gorgonzola is a veined blue cheese, originally 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 can find it in a soft, creamy version or a firmer version. I like both versions for this salad.

You can also substituted with blue cheese or stilton. Gorgonzola often has a more mild flavor than blue cheese, and provides a great option if you do not prefer strong cheeses.

If you are looking for a different cheese altogether, I recommend- goat cheese or feta. Their acidity is similar and will complement the flavors of the salad well.

What greens will work in this salad?

I love to use a traditional Italian mix. You can find this salad in pre made bags with the perfect balance of sweet, crunchy romaine and crisp, red cabbage that adds a delectable texture and taste to this salad.

You can use just about any salad mix you want. You can also add arugula or spinach. I don’t prefer to use romaine or iceberg lettuce because it’s too crunchy and the water content is too high. You will have better results with thin, leafy greens.

Orange honey mustard vinaigrette

You will love this super easy homemade vinaigrette that you can use for different salad recipes as well. It is sweet, tangy, fresh, and just the right balance of flavors you desire for your tender salad greens. You simple throw all the ingredients in a jar and shake, shake, shake!

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.

A beautiful and delicious salad for entertaining!

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 in 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.

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

Made with Amore, Elena

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