This fall salad is a great way to use arugula. Its pepperiness, in combination with the crunch of walnuts and salty, creamy blue cheese, provides perfect contrast to the sweetness of the pears and the dressing. Plus the dressing is easy to make — it’s a good reminder that homemade dressings are simple and delicious.

4 servings

8 ingredients

15 min prep

Ingredients

For the Maple Vinaigrette:

  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • Sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup (or to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

  • 4 cups baby arugula, washed
  • 2 firm ripe pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), washed, cored, quartered and sliced (see Chef Tips)
  • ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese (see Chef Tips)
  • ¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions
  1. Make the vinaigrette in the bottom of a large bowl as described here.
  2. Add the arugula, pears, cheese, and walnuts to the bowl. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Chef Tips

To figure out if a pear is ripe, give its neck a slight squeeze. It if gives, the pear will be sweet and juicy. For this salad, don’t use pears that are over-ripe and soft. Firm pear slices will be more likely to stay in one piece when tossed with the dressing.

If on an immunosuppressed diet, swap the blue cheese crumbles for shaved parmesan or chunks of pasteurized goat cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 242; Fat: 18g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 9g; Carbohydrates: 18g; Sugar: 12g; Fiber: 4g; Protein: 4g; Sodium: 316mg

Registered Dietitian Approved

Your recipes, articles, videos, and more content are reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society.

This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission.

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