This simple yet flavor-packed pear & arugula goat cheese salad is sweet, tangy, and delightfully crunchy. For even more crunch, try it with crumbled healthy honey nut clusters.
For such a simple recipe, this pear & arugula goat cheese salad offers so much as far as taste and texture go. The rich balsamic vinaigrette perfectly complements the sweetness of the pear and cranberries as well as the tang of the goat cheese. The arugula and walnuts add the perfect amount of crunch!
While dill pickle chopped salad is undoubtedly my go-to, pear & goat cheese salad is a great option when only something sweet will satisfy. My mom likes this salad with a huckleberry vinaigrette she makes every summer. You may want to try it both ways and see which you prefer!
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This is genuinely one of the quickest and easiest salad recipes ever!
- Pear & arugula goat cheese salad is a great healthy option when you're craving something sweet.
- This salad can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Arugula: Baby spinach, kale, or spring mix also make great salad bases.
- Goat cheese: I used goat cheese crumbles but you can use chevre as well.
- Bosc pears: You could use any pear variety or substitute with apples or strawberries.
- Dried cranberries: Pomegranate seeds or raisins are also good options.
- Walnuts: Pecans, almonds, or your favorite nut can be used as a substitute.
- Optional Ingredients: Adding some mint, basil, or dijon mustard to your balsamic dressing can make it even more flavorful. Thinly sliced red onion would also be a great addition.
- Protein: You might consider adding crumbled bacon or cubed grilled chicken.
🥗 How To Make Pear & Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
Step 1: Thinly slice the pears. In a large bowl, toss arugula and pear slices along with goat cheese, cranberries, and walnuts.
Step 2: Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to create the vinaigrette. Drizzle over the salad and enjoy!
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Goat cheese pairs well with many fruits including pears, cherries, figs, strawberries, apples, grapes, cranberries, apricots, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, and plums.
Goat cheese salad is the perfect side dish for grilled chicken, steak, or pork.
I recommend thinly slicing pears for a salad, but they can also be diced or sliced into thicker wedges.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- If you're going to store leftovers for another time, I recommend that you don't mix in the balsamic vinaigrette. Storing them separately will keep the salad fresh longer.
- Crumbled bacon makes a great addition to this salad!
- Fresh or dried mint or your favorite herbs can be added to the vinaigrette.
🥬 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pear & Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 bosc pears
- 8 cups arugula
- ½ cup goat cheese
- ½ cup cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the pears. In a large bowl, toss arugula and pear slices together along with goat cheese, cranberries, and walnuts.
- Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to create the vinaigrette. Drizzle over the salad and enjoy!
Notes
- If you're going to store leftovers for another time, I recommend that you don't mix in the balsamic vinaigrette. Storing them separately will keep the salad fresh longer.
- Crumbled bacon makes a great addition to this salad!
- Fresh or dried mint or your favorite herbs can be added to the vinaigrette.
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