This festive Pear Arugula Salad with a simple maple dressing is a delicious salad for any time of year, but it's especially perfect for the holiday table! The sweetness of the pears coupled with peppery arugula and topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts takes this from a simple salad to unbeatable.
As a dietitian, naturally I'm the one in my family put responsible for bringing either a vegetable side dish or salad to holiday dinners! This flavorful salad with sweet juicy pears is a great option for Christmas dinner or next time you want to bring a colorful side salad to a dinner party!
The best part is that it's fancy enough for a holiday meal, but easy enough for weeknight dinners! Add your favorite protein and a whole grain to turn it into a complete meal.
This was inspired by my Beet & Arugula Salad, the perfect fall salad. It pairs great with Cauliflower White Bean Soup with Sourdough Croutons. If you're looking for more healthy side dishes, try my Honey Thyme Carrots next.
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
This easy Arugula Pear Salad recipe is made with basic ingredients. Below are some notes. Be sure to check the recipe card for ingredient measurements.
Salad Ingredients
- Ripe Pears - I use Bartlett pears but you can use another sweet pear variety like Anjou pears, or a more tart pear like Bosc pears. You can even use Asian pears which have a crisp apple-like texture. Use your favorite or a combination! Pears provide dietary fiber for a healthy gut, vitamin C, and antioxidants. If you want an alternative to pears, apples would work. Use either red apples or green apples or a combination.
- Arugula - the peppery flavor in fresh arugula pairs perfectly with the sweet pears and zingy balsamic. Arugula contains iron, potassium, vitamin A, and calcium. Looks for baby arugula which is sweeter than adult arugula. You can substitute with different fresh greens like baby spinach or baby kale or do a combo.
- Goat Cheese - soft goat cheese is creamy and decadent and pairs beautifully with pears. Look for plain goat cheese. You can find it near the delicatessen with the other cheeses at the grocery store. Goat cheese provides a good amount of protein, calcium, and phosphorus. If you don't like goat cheese, a salty cheese like feta cheese, shaved parmesan cheese, or tangy blue cheese are good alternatives!
- Walnuts - crunchy walnuts are a great pairing in this salad. They also add extra protein, fiber, and vitamin E which has been shown to support brain health. Buy nuts in bulk to save some money. Feel free to use a different nut if you don't like walnuts. Crunchy pecans, pistachios or pepitas, go great with the flavors in this healthy salad.
- Pomegranate Seeds - to add a bit more color and sweetness, we add pomegranate arils! If you prefer, you can use chopped dates or dried cranberries instead.
- Mint Leaves - this is optional, but I like to add mint for a refreshing flavor.
- Lemon Juice - a squeeze of lemon on top brightens up the arugula and balances it out a bit.
Dressing Ingredients
You can use a store-bought Balsamic Vinaigrette for this Pear Arugula Salad. But if you want to make a homemade Maple Balsamic dressing, here are the ingredients you will need.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil is olive oil in it’s purest form (least processed) so it retains all the antioxidants and nutrients from the olive itself. If accessible, I suggest using high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste. Olive oil is high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that can reduce inflammation and has been shown to improve brain health.
- Balsamic Vinegar - use a balsamic that is aged for best flavor! If you want a lighter flavor and color, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Maple Syrup - adding a sweetener like maple syrup balances out the other salty and savory flavors in this dressing.
- Dijon Mustard - a little bit of dijon is my favorite way to add some tang and spice to this dressing and it pairs so well with the sweetness of the pears! Feel free to leave it out if you want.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to tie all the flavors together. Ingredients
How to Make a Pear Arugula Salad
Below are the instructions for how to make this simple salad with visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Prep your ingredients by slicing the pears into thin pieces. Chop the fresh mint and walnuts. Remove pomegranate arils.
- Step 2: Make the Maple Balsamic Dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shaking them in a mason jar.
- Step 3: In a large bowl or your favorite serving bowl, arrange the arugula. Top the bed of arugula with pear slices, pomegranate arils, walnuts, goat cheese and mint. Add a squeeze of lemon over everything.
- Step 4: Drizzle the dressing on top right before serving.
Hint: Slice the pear slices right before making the salad because they will brown quickly. If serving for a gathering, use a platter and arrange the pears in clusters of 3-4 to make it more visually appealing when serving.
Dietitian Tip
One of the best ways to make a great salad is to choose a combination of seasonal ingredients that pair well together. And my secret to crowd-pleasing homemade salads is to add a great sauce or dressing. Making a homemade dressing that contains nutrient-rich ingredients like the Maple Balsamic used in this Pear Arugula Salad is a double win: flavor + nutrition. 😊
Variations
The best part about this pear salad is you can customize to your taste! Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative.
- Apple Pear - replace one of the pears with a crisp apple for more color.
- Different Greens - use a spring mix or a combination of baby kale, spinach, and arugula to add variety.
- Pear Cranberry - replace the pomegranate arils with either dried cranberries or chopped dates for sweetness and texture.
Meal Prep & Storage
- Meal Prep - make your dressing ahead of time so it's ready to go when you want to assemble the salad.
- Storage - store leftovers of this Pear Arugula salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. I suggest storing the salad ingredients separately from the dressing so the salad doesn't get soggy. The dressing will stay good in the fridge for up to 10-14 days.
Expert Tips
- You can tell if a pear is ripe by giving it a gentle squeeze at the neck near the stem. If it gives a bit, it's ripe!
- To ensure they maintain their color, slice the pears right before making the salad because they brown pretty quickly.
- Wait to add a drizzle of dressing until just before serving. Add about half the dressing and serve the rest on the side to give your guests the freedom to add their desired amount.
- I suggest using baby arugula. Baby arugula is harvested while it is young and it's more mild in flavor. Mature arugula is almost too fierce of a flavor to eat raw while baby arugula has a pleasant peppery taste.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this Pear Arugula Salad in a nutrient-rich option. Pears contain several important nutrients including dietary fiber for gut health and several vitamins and minerals - vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants to name a few. Arugula is a low-calorie food that provides vitamin K, iron, and dietary fiber. This recipe also contains important nutrients for brain health and heart-healthy fatty acids from the olive oil in the dressing and protein from the goat cheese and walnuts.
If you're bringing it to a party or serving it to a group, serve it on a pretty platter! If you're eating it for lunch or dinner, you can serve it as a side or as a main dish with your favorite protein. Chicken steak, or salmon pair well with this salad. If you want to keep it plant-based, add quinoa, tofu, or roasted chickpeas on top.
Pears don’t ripen on the tree so it will ripen after it's been harvested. The Pear Bureau Northwest says the best way to determine if your pear is ripe is to apply gentle pressure to the neck of the pear. If it yields, the pear is ripe! If your pear isn’t ripe, leave it at room temperature to let it ripen.
Absolutely! Feta cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or parmesan cheese would all work well with the flavors in this salad.
Yes, this is a gluten-free recipe!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Pear & Arugula Salad:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Easy Pear Arugula Salad (Goat Cheese & Vinaigrette)
Ingredients
For Salad
- 5 cups baby arugula (5 oz)
- 2 small pears or 1 large (I use Bartletts)
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup goat cheese (~2.5 oz)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 2 tablespoon mint leaves
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
For Maple Balsamic Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients by slicing the pears into thin pieces. Chop the fresh mint and walnuts. Remove pomegranate seeds.
- Make the Maple Balsamic Dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shaking them in a mason jar.
- In a large bowl or your favorite serving bowl, arrange the arugula. Top the bed of arugula with pear slices, pomegranate arils, walnuts, goat cheese and mint. Add a squeeze of lemon over everything.
- Drizzle the dressing on top right before serving.
- Hint: Slice the pear slices right before making the salad because they will brown quickly. If serving for a gathering, serve it on platter and arrange the pears in clusters of 3-4.
Notes
- You can tell if a pear is ripe by giving it a gentle squeeze at the neck near the stem. If it gives a bit, it's ripe!
- To ensure they maintain their color, slice the pears right before making the salad because they brown pretty quickly.
- Wait to add a drizzle of dressing until just before serving. Add about half the dressing and serve the rest on the side to give your guests the freedom to add their desired amount.
- I suggest using baby arugula. Baby arugula is harvested while it is young and it's more mild in flavor. Mature arugula is almost too fierce of a flavor to eat raw while baby arugula has a pleasant peppery taste.
- Meal Prep - make your dressing ahead of time so it's ready to go when you want to assemble the salad.
- Storage - store leftovers of this Pear Arugula salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. I suggest storing the salad ingredients separately from the dressing so the salad doesn't get soggy. The dressing will stay good in the fridge for up to 10-14 days.
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