Description
Roasted Pear & Blue Cheese Salad with Rocket, Walnuts & Honey Balsamic Dressing is a beautiful balance of sweet, savoury, creamy and crunchy flavours. Tender roasted pears become lightly caramelised around the edges, while peppery rocket, tangy blue cheese, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries come together with a glossy honey balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
2 ripe but firm pears, sliced into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Pinch of salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
5 cups fresh rocket (arugula)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries, optional
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the pear wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, then sprinkle with dried thyme, salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Roast the pears for 15–18 minutes, turning them halfway through, until tender and lightly caramelised around the edges.
3. While the pears roast, place the chopped walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and black pepper until smooth and glossy.
5. Arrange the fresh rocket on a large serving platter. Add the roasted pear wedges, thinly sliced red onion, dried cranberries if using, and crumbled blue cheese.
6. Scatter the toasted walnuts generously over the salad, making sure they are spread throughout for plenty of crunch.
7. Drizzle the honey balsamic dressing over the salad just before serving. Gently toss everything together, or leave the ingredients layered on the platter for a beautiful presentation.
Notes
Choose pears that are ripe but still firm so they hold their shape better during roasting.
Don’t overcook the pears. They should be tender and caramelised rather than overly soft.
Toast the walnuts carefully because they can go from golden to burnt quickly.
Add the dressing at the last moment to keep the rocket fresh and prevent it from becoming soggy.
You can roast the pears, toast the walnuts and prepare the dressing ahead of time. Keep the rocket and dressing separate and assemble the salad shortly before serving.
The dried cranberries are optional and can simply be omitted.
The salad can be served with the pears slightly warm or allowed to cool before assembling. Slightly warm pears provide a lovely contrast with the fresh rocket and blue cheese.
Serve as a light lunch or side dish alongside a main course.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean