Pear Salad with Candied Walnuts

This pear salad with candied walnuts is the star of my annual Power Lunch Holiday Open House for clients and friends.

Ingredients

For the Roasted Pear Vinaigrette:

• 1 large ripe pear, peeled, cored, and cut in half

• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

• 2 to 3 teaspoons honey

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR the 25 Minute Candied Walnuts

• 1 cup walnut halves/pieces

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 Tbsp unsalted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Soy-Free)

For the Salad:

• 1 head Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce, washed and roughly-chopped

• 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced

• 1 cup candied walnuts

• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or Gorgonzola cheese

• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/3 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions

For the 25 Minute Candied Walnuts

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup nuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 Tbsp butter.

2. Stir the pan contents frequently to ensure the nuts don’t scorch and the mixture doesn’t burn, especially toward the end of the cooking time. When you can see the sugar visibly melting, stir constantly until all of the sugar is liquid and the nuts are coated. Be patient; it can take quite a while for the sugar to become fluid and coat the walnuts. 

3. Quickly scrape the mixture onto a parchment paper sheet and separate the nuts. I recommend using two spatulas to divide the sticky clusters of nuts. The sugars go from liquid back to solid in less than two minutes, and if you don’t move fast enough, you’ll end up with a giant block of hard candy. (Delicious, but not practical.)

4. Once the coating cools and hardens (5-7 minutes), the nuts are ready to be added to the salad. You can make the candied nuts several days in advance and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.

For the Salad

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place the pear halves on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place the pan in the oven and roast the pear for 10 to 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

3. To make the vinaigrette, place the roasted pear, remaining ⅓ cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, shallot, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth.

4. To assemble the salad, place the lettuce in a large bowl. Top with the sliced pears, candied walnuts, blue cheese, red onion, and pomegranate arils.

5. Drizzle with roasted pear vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediately.

Inspired by Two Peas & Their Pod, Favorite Pear Salad