The perfect pear salad this season is combined with vibrant red onions, mixed greens and a lovely dairy-free cheese for a desirable plate. Even the dressing uses gorgeously roasted pears for a creamy vinaigrette.
A crisp, crunchy, pear salad that highlights all the best flavors of the seasons has arrived. I love a good pear, yet realize that the ones I buy in the spring just don’t compare to what’s fresh and in season right now. This pear salad recipe has it all, and then some. Toss it all together for a beautiful statement dish on the table, or lay out all the toppings for an epic salad bar, where everyone can customize.
Table of Contents
Pear Salad Ingredients
Creating a pear salad recipe using fall fresh ingredients isn’t hard. With so many fresh flavors to choose from this season, I wanted to highlight a few ingredients not in the squash family, yet equally as fresh + delicious:
- Coconut oil– provides healthy fat and a lovely finish to this salad when mixed in.
- Pears– contain a lot of soluble fiber (6 grams per pear!), which aids in the digestion of this pear salad.
- Walnuts– loaded with antioxidants, antibacterial, and antitumor elements, this nut is a must have for keeping the brain + body healthy for a long time.
- Miyoko’s vegan cheese– the main ingredient is cashews, which provide healthy fat and protein.
- Red onion– provides a kick of flavor, as well as antioxidants.
- Pomegranate seeds– a superfood fruit that brings a crisp, crunchy taste, along with lots of fiber + antioxidants.
With this rawkstar list of ingredients, how can you not try this salad?!
Ingredient swap guide
Depending on where you live, some of these ingredients might not be so fresh when you make this salad. No problem! Swap pomegranates with another antioxidant rich berry (blueberries or raspberries would be delish!).
Apples make great swaps for pears. I prefer honey crisp apples in my salads, as they’re bursting with sweet flavor. Trade walnuts for pecans, or a seed of your choice– lightly toasted pumpkin seeds work too. Shallots can be replaced with a white or yellow onion, along with an extra pinch of garlic powder.
Pear guide
Though the grocery store usually only has 1 variety of pear at a time, there are actually several varieties from which to choose. Here are a few I think work well in this pear salad:
- Bosc– this variety is typically brown colored, and very crisp. It is firm and great for eating raw.
- Bartlett– often yellow or red, this pear variety is super sweet.
- Anjous– these green pears are most common in stores right now. Though they are typically hard and bright green at the grocery, just set them on the counter for a few days and watch them lighten in color and soften to a super sweet, juicy treat.
A Note on Vegan Cheese
When creating this pear salad recipe, I felt it needed another texture to tie all the ingredients together. I went with Miyoko‘s vegan cheese for several reasons. First, it is made from plant based ingredients that are pronounceable.
Second, it has the texture and flavor I look for in a dairy product, however, it is 100% dairy free. Dairy doesn’t sit well with my gut, so this is a great alternative.
Third, Miyoko’s has a wide variety of options in their cheese pinwheel family, so I can pick one that suites my palate and my plate. If this isn’t your style, then feel free to omit it from this pear salad.
The Perfect Pear Salad Dressing
Even the salad dressing has a pear in it, I love them so much! Honestly though, I added a pear to this dressing to up the cream factor. Make sure to cream the dressing well when blending. I don’t want you left with any grittiness or chunks! This dressing can be used in many different fall salads, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch and take it to the next family gathering; you’ll get lots of requests for the recipe!
More Pear Recipes
Usually my box of pears from Costco all ripen at the same time, so I need to use them rather quickly! Here are some other great recipes that use pears, in case you run into this problem as well:
- Brain food green smoothie
- Glowing green smoothie (inspired by Reese Witherspoon!)
- Butternut pear green smoothie
- Fall salad with candied pecans
You can also swap in pears for recipes using apples, as they have a similar texture.
Which ingredient in this pear salad recipe are you most excited about? Leave a comment and let me know if you’re adding this salad to your menu!
Pear Salad with Pomegranates
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
Roasted Pear Vinaigrette
- 1 pear peeled, cored, and cut in half
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp shallot finely chopped
- 2 tsp honey
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper ground, to taste
Toasted Walnuts
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Pear Salad
- 2 pears cored and thinly sliced
- 6 cups mixed greens
- ⅓ cup crumbled vegan cheese Miyoko’s is a great brand
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- â…“ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the pear halves on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of coconut 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.
- Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tsp coconut oil and maple syrup. Cook at 350° for 3-5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Roasted pear vinaigrette
- To make the vinaigrette, blend the roasted pear, olive oil, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, shallot, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
Salad
- Place the mixed greens in a large bowl. Top with the sliced pears, candied walnuts, vegan cheese, red onion, and pomegranate arils.
- Drizzle with roasted pear vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Swap mixed greens for the leafy greens of your choice.Â
- You can toast walnuts without any other ingredients to cut down on the natural sugar in this recipe and just have roasted walnuts. They’ll still taste great!
- Swap shallot with white onion.
This Pear Salad with Pomegranates was the ever! HEALTHY TOO!
….BEST EVER! HEALTHY!
I saved this recipe when I saw it in November 2020, but didn’t try it until now. The salad dressing is amazing! My family loved the freshness and naturally sweet flavor of the pear. Thank you for a tasty and healthy recipe!
It’s like you took all my favorite fall things and put them in a salad! And I can’t wait to try Miyoko’s cheese, I’ve heard good things about it. 🙂
It’s such an awesome flavor combination, isn’t it?!
Dressing looks so good!! Can’t wait to try!
It’s sooooo good!!
I love pears in this salad. It’s the perfect combo with the pomegranates!
I love the combo of fall fruits and other flavors in this salad!
I love the idea of a dressing with a pear in it! Can hear the crunch of the pomegranates from here; seriously delicious combination.
Totally agree, Erin!
Just made this vinaigrette and it is CRAZY yum. Got out a spoon to scoop it into my mouth! The kitty was watching but promised not to tell….. For the record I left the peel on (too lazy to remove) and it came out just fine. Used my immersion blender. Oh my – may just drink it for dinner instead of putting it on the salad <3
Thank you so much!
Haha Jupiter, what an awesome review of the dressing! So glad you loved it. 🙂
cannot wait to try this salad this weekend, yum
Give it a try and let us know what you thought, Debby!