Roasted Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
My easy roasted pear salad is served with golden brown roasted pears, paired with salty crumbled gorgonzola and crispy toasted walnuts. You can roast the pears earlier in the day and chill them so that assembly takes just a few minutes at dinnertime. Add roasted chicken or pork for a full entree salad, or serve this as a simple starter before a cozy fall dinner.
If you’re a fan of sweet and savory like I am, you’re going to love taking my fresh roasted pears and using them to top this easy roasted pear salad with blue cheese and walnuts.
Each bite has so many flavor layers going on. You’ve got the sweet, juicy pears, the bite of freshly cracked pepper, and the tangy blue cheese with crispy, salty nuts and fresh greens.
Talk about a delicious salad. Take that, boring ranch dressing and romaine!
This is such a fun alternative fall recipe when you’re a little bit tired of apples and pumpkins. Be sure to add it to your dinner menu soon.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Prep-Ahead Friendly: You can serve the roasted pears chilled which allows you to roast them in advance for a quick-to-assemble salad.
- Sweet and Salty: I love the combination of the sweet juicy pears with crispy nuts and creamy, tangy blue cheese.
- Versatile Salad Dressing Options: Store bought or homemade, there are plenty of options for your dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lettuce Base: I used a mixed spring greens for this but fresh arugula or baby spinach would also both be delcious.
- Roasted Pears: These will take about 25 minutes to prepare but you can do the work ahead. Assembling the rest of the salad will take just a few minutes.
- Crumbled Cheese: I used goat cheese on the day I made this because they didn’t have gorgonzola when I grocery shopped. I prefer the flavor of blue cheese here but goat or feta cheese crumbles both work great.
- Chopped Nuts: I used chopped walnuts for this salad but chopped pecans would be delicious, too.
- Salad Dressing: I made a quick batch of my homemade mustard vinagrette but to keep things simple you could grab a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette from the grocery store. Be sure to note my salad dressing options in the notes below.
Roast the Pears
You can get my full roasted pears recipe here (with full step-by-step photos) but I put the instructions in the recipe card below for your convenience.
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Serve Warm or Chilled
You could serve the roasted pears warm from the roasting skillet or you can prep them ahead and keep them chilled in the fridge.
The salad is delicious either way but a few things to note:
Texture of the Cheese: If you want the cheese to retain its crumbled shape, serve the salad cold. The warm pears quickly melt the cheese which can affect presentation on a party platter.
Oven Timing: The pears roast at 350°F. If you need oven space for a dish that requires a different temperature, keep it easy and roast the pears early.
Prepare the Salad Dressing
My mustard vinaigrette recipe takes just a few minutes to whisk together and is an excellent option for this salad.
If you prefer to use a store bought salad dressing, I would recommend:
- Balsamic Vinaigrette: Pairs perfectly with the sauce from the roasted pears.
- Blue Cheese Dressing: For a richer and creamier salad, this is an excellent option. You could also make my homemade blue cheese dressing if you prefer.
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Poppy Seed Dressing
Assemble the Salad
For a weeknight family dinner, I prepare the salad on individual serving plates because I’m feeding just four.
During the holiday season, I would prepare the salad on one large serving platter for a party.
Toss your salad greens of choice with the salad dressing that you want. Lay down the bed of greens on your platter.
Top with the sliced roasted pears. Sprinkle the crumbled cheese and nuts over the top.
Season with a sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Make Ahead Tips
You can prepare all of the salad ingredients ahead of time. Just keep them stored separately in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the final dish.
This is especially important if you’re making a homemade salad dressing. You don’t want to top the salad greens with dressing until just before serving, or they will wilt.
Serving Suggestions
This easy roasted pear salad is such a simple starter for an elegant holiday meal. Light and refreshing with the juicy pears on top, it is a fresh start before your dinner.
I would pair it with my cranberry blue cheese-stuffed pork tenderloins or this savory oven-roasted pork loin green peppercorn sauce.
If you wanted to turn this into a full-blown entree salad for a weeknight family dinner, you could plan to top it with seasoned baked chicken breasts or sliced pork tenderloin.
More Salad Recipes
If you love fresh and fruity salad toppings, you will also love these other seasonal recipes:
Roasted Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 12 ounces mixed lettuce greens washed and dried
- Balsamic vinaigrette store bought or homemade
- 1 batch roasted pears see notes
- 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or other good-quality blue cheese
- 1 cup walnuts toasted
Instructions Start Cooking
- Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl and toss with the balsamic vinaigrette.12 ounces mixed lettuce greens, Balsamic vinaigrette
- Transfer the salad to chilled salad plates and top with cooled, sliced pears. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola cheese over the top and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the toasted walnuts on each salad. Serve immediately.1 batch roasted pears, 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, 1 cup walnuts
Recipe Notes
Roasted Pears
You can prepare the roasted pears earlier in the day and let them chill in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad. Ingredients:- 4 large pears, cut in half and cores spooned out
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar + 1 tablespoon water
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About Tiffany
Tiffany is a home-cooking enthusiast, three-time cookbook author, and creator of the sites Peanut Blossom, Peanut Blossom Book Club, and Don’t Just Fly. She believes that family dinner can be manageable, fun, and — most importantly — tasty. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters and can often be found baking a loaf of bread with her beloved bread machine, reading a good book, or planning her family’s next adventure.