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.

pears covered in vinaigrette and pomegranates over a bed of mixed greens.

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
  1. Pear Salad Ingredients
  2. Ingredient swap guide
  3. A Note on Vegan Cheese
  4. The Perfect Pear Salad Dressing
  5. More Pear Recipes
  6. Pear Salad with Pomegranates Recipe
bowl of whole pears and pomegranates.

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.
  • Walnutsloaded 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?!

ingredients for poached pear vinaigrette including poached pears, coconut oil, olive oil, orange juice, white wine vinegar, garlic cloves, shallot, honey, sea salt and black pepper.

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.

ingredients for a pear salad including vinaigrette, pomegranate arils, red onions, walnuts, vegan cheese, mixed greens coconut oil and olive oil.

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.
miyoko's vegan classic chive package next to a bowl of the cheese out of the wrapper.

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 Miyokos 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.

building the base of this fall fresh meal with fruit and mixed greens.

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!

vegan pear salad recipe with walnuts, pomegranate arils and red onion.

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:

You can also swap in pears for recipes using apples, as they have a similar texture.

3 colorful salads ready to enjoy on a white counter top.

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!

5 from 8 votes

Winter Pear Salad

Bring the wow factor to your next dinner with this lovely, crisp Winter pear salad. From the roasted pear vinaigrette to the seasonally fresh ingredients like pears, red onion and pomegranate, this salad is sure to delight all who enjoy it.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Entree, Salad
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 4

Equipment

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
  • â…“ cup crumbled vegan blue cheese Miyoko’s is a great brand
  • ¼ red onion thinly sliced
  • â…“ cup pomegranate arils

Instructions 

For Roasted Pear Vinaigrette:

  • 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.
  • Once the pear is cooled, blend the roasted pear, olive oil, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, shallot, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth.
  • For Roasted Walnuts:
  • 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.

For 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. A mix adds a depth of flavor.
  • You can toast the 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.
  • Make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate in an air-tight container until ready to use. Shake well before serving.
  • Leftover salad (if there is any) can be stored for 24 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 574kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 47g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Sodium: 93mg, Potassium: 468mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 730IU, Vitamin C: 25mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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!

  2. 5 stars
    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. 🙂

    1. It’s such an awesome flavor combination, isn’t it?!

    1. I love the combo of fall fruits and other flavors in this salad!

  3. 5 stars
    I love the idea of a dressing with a pear in it! Can hear the crunch of the pomegranates from here; seriously delicious combination.

  4. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Haha Jupiter, what an awesome review of the dressing! So glad you loved it. 🙂

    1. Give it a try and let us know what you thought, Debby!