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Pear and rocket salad showcases creamy, floral pear with 5-minute candied nuts and a simple homemade balsamic salad dressing. The entire salad whips up in just 20 minutes and is easy enough for weeknight dinners and elegant enough for holiday meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Do you also like to include a festive salad on your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday table? There are always a variety of decadent sides (I’m looking at you, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, the most decadent macaroni and cheese of my life, and corn pudding). But every year I like to also put out a show-stopping salad with seasonal produce.
This year I knew I wanted to feature pears front and center. They’re incredibly delicious, and a completely underutilized fruit in my kitchen! Everything else – from the bed of greens to the fun salad add-ins to the dressing used – was all chosen to highlight pear.
Sweet, aromatic fresh pear with its creamy texture, subtle floral notes, and a hint of musky vanilla truly is the star of the show in this salad. It’s impressive and elegant enough to grace your holiday table, but easy enough for a weeknight dinner anytime in fall. Let’s celebrate pear season, shall we?
Why This Salad is a Star
- In terms of keeping salad interesting, this one knocks it out of the park! It packs a variety of creamy and crunchy textures and sweet and savory flavors.
- Those candied nuts. Oh boy. All I can say, is make a double (or quadruple) batch for snacking or for making more of this salad. Because if it’s on a salad, it’s automatically healthier, right? (At least during the holidays – ha!)
- You probably already have everything in your pantry to make the salad dressing. Balsamic and pears go together like peanut butter and jelly. And the best part is, this honey balsamic dressing will keep well for up to 2 weeks stored in a covered glass jar in the fridge. Come to think of it, you might want to make a double batch of that too.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – This adds richness and together with the brown sugar, helps create a caramel-like candy coating for the nuts.
- Walnuts – Deliciously crunchy, nutty walnuts pair really well with the flavor of pear. Just about any kind of nut will work, or even some types of seeds (such as pepitas).
- Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness with rich notes of caramel and molasses.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma. This also plays up pear’s natural creamy vanilla flavor.
- Cinnamon – Have you ever walked by a roasted nut stand at a fair or at the mall that had candied cinnamon pecans, almonds, or walnuts? The smell is absolutely divine. This warm spice adds great flavor to the candied nuts, and is a pleasantly surprising touch to the salad.
- Salt – To help create a balanced flavor profile.
Honey Balsamic Dressing Ingredients
- Honey – Honey adds floral sweetness to balance out the acidity in the balsamic vinegar in the salad dressing, and it also echos the floral notes of pear.
- Balsamic vinegar – You can use white or red balsamic vinegar here. For something a little different, use white balsamic for this vinaigrette; it’s milder and less sweet than its red counterpart.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Go for the good stuff here.
- Dijon mustard – Dijon’s sharp flavor adds another layer of depth here. It also helps stabilize the emulsion of oil and vinegar and keeps our dressing smooth.
- Salt and black pepper – These basic spices are all we need to season this flavorful salad dressing.
Pear Rocket Salad Ingredients
- Arugula/rocket – This adds a lovely peppery bite to the salad to contrast the creamy pears, sweet candied nuts, and savory cheese. For the best flavor, use baby arugula leaves.
- Bosc pears – I wanted to keep the colors of this salad various shades of green and brown, so I went with Bosc pears, which are a warm cinnamon bronze color. Their unique earthy sweet flavor goes beautifully here! Feel free to switch it up and use whatever kind of pears you like or have on hand.
- Golden raisins – For chewy texture and sweet fruity flavor.
- Gorgonzola cheese – This crumbly, sharp blue cheese adds umami piquant flavor and rich creamy texture. You can use goat cheese or feta cheese here too.
- Scallion – Adds mild onion flavor. Chives will also work well here, or you can use thinly sliced white onion that’s soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, and then drained and patted dry.
How to Make Pear and Rocket Salad
1: Make the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts
- Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add all remaining ingredients and stir to coat the nuts. Cook until the walnuts smell nutty and are golden, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spread out the nuts on a parchment paper-lined plate, and let them cool to room temperature.
2: Make the Honey Balsamic Dressing
Add all ingredients to a small-medium bowl; whisk to combine.
3: Assemble and Serve the Salad
To help prevent oxidation (aka browning), now is the time to slice the pear.
Here we’re making a composed or arranged salad (i.e., a salade composée in French), where the components are beautifully arranged on a platter instead of tossed together in a bowl.
To arrange this salad, spread the arugula out onto a platter. Arrange the sliced pear on top. Sprinkle on the cooled candied nuts, golden raisins, crumbled cheese, and sliced scallions.
Serve immediately along with the dressing to drizzle on top.
Variations
- Nuts – This easy method for making cinnamon brown sugar candied walnuts will work well with just about any type of nuts! Almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts are all great choices, but you can use whatever your favorite nut is.
- Salad dressing – If you have a well-stocked pantry, this honey balsamic vinaigrette only takes a minute or two to make. But if you prefer, you can use store-bought balsamic salad dressing, or even just a simple dressing made fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Arugula – The peppery bite of fresh arugula (aka rocket) is what love most about this leafy green. But that’s also what makes it a polarizing flavor; you either love it or you hate it! If arugula isn’t your thing, feel free to swap it out for any leafy greens you like. Baby spinach or mixed field greens are also great choices.
Storage & Make-Ahead
For best results, assemble this salad right before you want to serve it.
However, you can make a couple of the components ahead of time. You can make the candied walnuts up to 5 days in advance; once cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The homemade honey balsamic salad dressing will last for up to 2 weeks in a glass jar in the fridge; give it a good shake before serving. If the oil in the vinaigrette has hardened, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before shaking.
Pro Tip: Prevent the Pears From Browning
After they’re cut, pears will brown in a salad similar to apples. This process is called oxidation. To minimize the pears oxidizing, you can do two things:
- Wait to slice the pears until right before assembling and serving this salad, and/or
- Do a quick vinegar soak. To do so, right after slicing, add the pears to a large bowl with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Swoosh the sliced pear around gently with your fingers so they’re all coated. Drain the sliced pear, pat it dry, and then use it in the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gorgonzola, which is a type of blue cheese, pairs well with pears. It has a creamy texture and sharp flavor that varies depending on the type of gorgonzola. For a milder version, use gorgonzola dolce.
If gorgonzola or blue cheese isn’t your thing, these sharp, flavorful cheeses are also good options in this salad: sharp white cheddar, crumbled feta, crumbled goat cheese, or pecorino.
Any pear that’s delicious eaten out of hand and is firm enough to slice will work well in a salad. A few good options include: Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Forelle, and Seckel.
I chose Bosc pears in this recipe for their pretty bronze color, and because their subtly earthy, musky, sweetness goes well in this salad. Also, Bosc pears are firmer than other varieties, so they stay crisp in this salad!
To bump up the protein in this pear salad, you can add: grilled chicken, poached chicken, grilled steak, or for a vegan protein source, a can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans.
More Autumnal Salad Recipes to Try
- Creamy Russian Beetroot Salad
- Simple Pear Salad with Candied Almonds and Crumbled Feta
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Chickpeas, Kale, and Pearl Couscous
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Pear Rocket Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Honey Balsamic Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or any good balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Pear Rocket Salad:
- 5 ounces baby arugula leaves
- 2 Bosc pears cored and thinly sliced (or any type of pears you like)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbled (or goat cheese or feta cheese)
- 2 scallions green and white parts, thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts:
- Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add all remaining ingredients and stir to coat the nuts. Cook until the walnuts smell nutty and are golden, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread out the nuts on a parchment paper-lined plate, and let them cool to room temperature.
Make the Honey Balsamic Dressing:
- Add all ingredients to a small-medium bowl; whisk to combine.
Assemble and Serve the Salad:
- Spread the arugula out onto a platter. Arrange the sliced pear on top. Sprinkle on the cooled candied nuts, golden raisins, crumbled cheese, and sliced scallions.
- Serve immediately along with the dressing to drizzle on top.
Video
Notes
- Storage and Make Ahead: For best results, assemble this salad right before you want to serve it. However, you can make a couple of the components ahead of time. You can make the candied walnuts up to 5 days in advance; once cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The homemade honey balsamic salad dressing will last for up to 2 weeks in a glass jar in the fridge; give it a good shake before serving. If the oil in the vinaigrette has hardened, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before shaking.
- Protein Ideas: Add a protein source to make this salad a full meal! To bump up the protein in this pear salad, you can add: grilled chicken, poached chicken, grilled steak, or for a vegan protein source, a can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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