Pear and Walnut Salad
Pear and Walnut Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
This is a nice simple salad with a lot of flavor from the walnuts and pears. The lemon juice in the vinaigrette helps to prevent the pear from quickly turning brown, while adding a nice acidic bite to complement the sweetness of the pear.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serving Size: 2 entrees, 4 sides
Ingredients
Salad
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1-2 pears, ripe but firm, any kind you wish, diced into bite size pieces
¼ cup walnut halves or pieces, toasted if you wish
Coarse sea salt for finishing
Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin lemon olive oil (or regular extra virgin olive oil)
Zest and juice from 1 lemon (1-2 tablespoons juice)
½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or honey (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Equipment
Knife
1 large bowl
Whisk
Process
Place the ¼ cup walnuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook just until fragrant, watching closely so they don’t burn. When the walnuts are toasted, remove them from the skillet immediately, placing them on a plate.
In a large bowl zest and juice the lemon for the dressing. Add in the ½ teaspoon sugar or honey (if using), 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt. Slowly drizzle in the ¼ cup extra virgin lemon olive oil while whisking. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
Tear the red leaf lettuce into bite sized pieces and add it to the bowl with the salad dressing.
Dice the pear and add it to the lettuce in the bowl.
Toss the lettuce and pears with the dressing. Top with the toasted walnuts. Pile the salad onto 2 large plates or 4 small plates and serve.
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