As far as salads are concerned, this pear arugula version is high on the list. It's flavorful and vibrant, with dried fruit and almonds, and is perfect for a light lunch and a holiday buffet. It's one of our favorite family salads to make for barbecues, fall gatherings, and holiday tables. The honey mustard dressing is amazing on its own.
Even though sweet pears and peppery arugula (or rocket as it's also called) are the main characters here, this fall salad is full of dried fruit, nuts, and a superb but simple dressing.
If you like having salads in your holiday table, this is the perfect recipe for that. We love it for Christmas dinner.
It's fresh with texture and different flavors that meld together in a wonderful way. Similar to what happens with this Fall coleslaw recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Pears: they are the star of this show. I like to use regular Bartlett pears because they are juicy and plump and hold their shape after being baked. But other varieties work just fine, like comice or Bosc pears.
- Arugula (rocket): with that peppery undertone, it goes well with all the other ingredients. Baby arugula is usually more tender and my favorite, but wild arugula, and rocket, are just as good. It depends on your personal choice.
- Dates: I'm partial to Medjool dates, which are soft and plump, and delicious.
- Cranberries: they add tartness.
- Almonds: I love them sliced and lightly toasted; they add a nice crunch that's wonderful. But whole or chopped almonds work fine.
- Onion: I love red onions or shallots for this salad.
- Dressing (or Vinaigrette): it has honey and mustard and is amazing! See ingredients below.
Honey mustard dressing
This simple vinaigrette with honey complements the sweetness of the pears and peppery taste of arugula.
Years ago, I had a Cafe and discovered this vinaigrette (or dressing). It's very versatile and pairs well with many salads. We had it always prepared as customers asked for it a lot.
- Mustard: I'm partial to Dijon mustard because it has a unique flavor and is not sweet. But whole grain mustard (like ancient mustard) is a good choice also, though you will have the little seeds in the salad. I don't recommend commercial brands used for hot dogs and burgers.
- Runny honey.
- Vinegar: apple cider vinegar is the best choice, balancing the vinaigrette. But you can use balsamic vinegar. I did for a while until I opted for apple.
- Sunflower oil.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Black pepper: freshly ground is always my first choice.
How to prepare the pears
I use Bartlett pears, probably the most widely available. They are juicy and plump and hold their shape after being baked.
Other seasonal pears can be used (like bosc, anjou and Asian pears) that are also popular for pear salad recipes. Here is more info about pear varieties if you want to add new ones to your baking.
- I don't peel them and use both baked and raw pear slices (wedges) in the salad. The contrast is wonderful. But you can certainly peel them. If you do, watch the baking time as they become soft quickly and have no outer shell to hold the shape. You might need to bake them for less time.
- Bake them in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) until they are soft but still hold their shape. Don't be tempted to slice them too thin as they will disintegrate a lot while adding them to the salad.
- Butter or oil the pan and pop it in the oven. They will caramelize in their sugars, concentrating the flavor.
Building the salad
I love to put together salads in layers.
I don't mix everything into one big thing, but layer it so that the ingredients, especially the add-ons, are scattered. Otherwise, they tend to go to the bottom.
- Serving dish or plate. Whether serving it on a large platter or individual servings, choose a dish that is not very deep so that all the ingredients are visible and well distributed, and every diner gets the whole deal.
- Layers: I recommend dividing the ingredients into two parts and making two similar layers so they are more evenly distributed.
- Start with half the arugula. That will be your base. After that, half the add-ons. Another layer of green and the final layer of extras on top, so the salad is colorful and inviting.
Dressing: It is a good idea to mix a little dressing with the bulk ingredient (arugula in this case) before you start layering. It is dense and will go to the bottom, so don't use it all at first. Lightly dress the salad and pass a separate jar with more.
What is a vinaigrette? It's the traditional French dressing that usually has mustard. Very simple and flavorful, it is a wonderful addition to any salad. I added honey and use apple cider vinegar and it pairs wonderfully with this salad.
Variations and substitutions
- Greens: you can use another leafy green (like baby spinach) or a spring mix, always including arugula. I like peppery greens, but let your palate decide.
- Dressing: use a different vinegar, such as sherry or red wine vinegar. Balsamic vinegar might be a little overpowering for a mustard vinaigrette, but I know fans who use it no matter what the salad is. You can also use lemon juice if vinegar is out of the question.
- Fruit: use apples instead of pears. It can be made in the summer with fresh strawberries and/or peaches, and it's fantastic.
- Dried fruit: add dried figs and/or raisins. I suggest you choose your favorite two dried fruits. When you have too many different flavors, you can't taste them all well.
- Nuts: use pecans or walnuts (toasted lightly or candied) instead of almonds. They are wonderful in this salad during the holiday season.
- Cheese: add a few tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.
- Special diets: make a nut-free salad by omitting the almonds. Add half the dried fruit for a streamlined but still flavorful salad.
- Main dish: this can easily turn into a light main dish by adding sliced cold turkey or chicken.
- Sweetness: use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- When to dress it: arugula can wilt pretty quickly, so I suggest you add the dressing just before you take it to the table.
- Dressing: it separates after a while, so you might consider blending it right before serving.
- Make ahead: the dressing can be made up to 2 weeks before, and the cooked pears can be made a day in advance. Keep both refrigerated and covered.
- Double or triple the recipe for a large crowd.
Related recipes you might like:
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Pear Arugula Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cups arugula leaves, washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion or shallots
- 1 pear, I used Bartlett
- 2 Medjool dates, chopped into little pieces
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅓ to ½ cup olive oil, or sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
For the vinaigrette:
- In a large measuring jar or bowl, mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey and ½ teaspoon salt. I suggest using a blender (a glass jar is better so the oil and mustard don't permeate the plastic) or an immersion blender as this dressing/vinaigrette separates after a while.
- Slowly add ⅓ to ½ cup olive oil while mixing well. Add ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and check seasoning. Adjust if needed with more salt.
- Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salad.
For the salad:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush a baking pan with oil or butter.
- Cut 1 pear in half and scoop out the center core. Cut each half into wedges.
- Bake half of the pieces for about 10 minutes, until they soften up but still retain the shape. (Alternatively, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet and cook half the wedges until beginning to brown). Reserve.
- In a bowl, dress 3 cups arugula leaves with three tablespoons of vinaigrette. Mound half of the arugula on a serving platter or divide it among individual plates.
- Scatter 1 tablespoon thinly sliced shallots or onion on top.
- Add half the raw and half of the baked pear wedges.
- Scatter half of the chopped dates, cranberries and almonds on the arugula. Repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same order.
- Drizzle a few tablespoons of vinaigrette and serve with extra dressing on the side.
Alyssa says
PAULA, thanks! Very tasty salad turned out. Very cool photos!
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks Alyssa! Glad you liked it!
Barbara says
Hi Paula
I am late to see this but think it sounds wonderful and would go with the spanish theme dinner I am giving with a change of the cheese to Manchego. I want to do as much as possible beforehand and although I know I cannot slice the pears in advance what about the sauted ones - do you think they might brown if I left them for a few hours. Of course I could experiment but wondered if you knew the answer? Many thanks.
wp_vknotes_admin says
HI Barbara! With the pears you have about half an hour window to make them beforehand. Unless the ones you sauteed are underripe, but you don't want to use them for the fresh slices. What you can do, which is the original way I served this, is only fresh slices of pear. No sauteed part. It's still amazing. Good luck!
Cocoa and Lavender says
Paula - this is beautiful, and I need to join you in your rant against fad diets. They drive me crazy! Eat well, eat whole foods, if a package you pick up has ingredients you cannot pronounce, put it down! Moderation is the key, and I would add thoughtfulness, as well. ... Sorry about the rant! 🙂 I wanted to say that work is getting in the way of my blog reading - I have to save them to savor on Sunday mornings! But what joy I get all these gifts from you on or day! (I do peek during the week!) And this week, I went to lunch with someone and had a crispy kale salad with pears, almonds, goat cheese and dates. It was lovely and I remember thinking how fun it will be to read your post on Sunday... ~David
german in pdx says
This salad has my name on it, Paua. It has everything I love in a salad for dinner in it. Just perfect!!! Thank you! ~ Bea
e / dig in says
i'm playign catch ups on your posts paula - how fresh and delicious looking. i love elegant salads like this. i shoudl try this next time i have pears!
CrispyBitsnBurntEnds says
oh my gosh! I am drooling over this salad. I just want to reach in the screen and eat it all up! seriously yummy!
Laura Hunter says
I love adding pear to my salad but I have never tried sauteing it. This I have to try
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Fruit in salad is my absolute favourite and I LOVE pears. This is a gorgeous, vibrant, flavourful recipe. Great post, Paula, as usual. I fully acknowledge that i have a very unhealthy relationship with food. The last reason on my list for why I eat is sustenance. I'm an emotional eater - I eat when I'm bored, stressed, tired, depressed, you name the emotion, I'll find a way to connect it with food. I snack at my desk all day long, not because I'm hungry but because I need to blunt the stress of my day. It's a habit I need to break. I should just start packing this salad with me when I leave the house instead of all the baked goods I make 😉
Martin D says
Great looking salad Paula. It's got so many of my faves..pears, dates and asiago cheese which add some great flavors! Pinning! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah Reid says
Honey mustard anything is a win. Bonus if it's veggies - rice cakes are boring!
Lane says
I'm an arugula freak too. Love the stuff. I agree with you on the rather have some fresh fruits or veggies than low cal rice cakes 🙂
Kim Bee says
This just looks so amazing. I can't wait to try this one.
Helene Dsouza says
Arugula is really a great salad type, I just wished my seeds would grow in my garden. Your salad Paula sounds like my kind of dish. What does the asiago cheese taste like? I am curious, I have heard of this cheese before and cheese is in my veins.
Megan Wood says
This sounds insanely good. I cannot wait to make this!
a farmer in the dell says
what an absolutely lovely salad!
Medeja says
I think for me it would just perfect with chicken.. 🙂
Liz Berg says
Oh, my. I LOVE, love this salad. I adore pears and never thought of sauteing them for a salad...just so much I appreciate about this recipe 🙂
The Ninja Baker says
Amen to your food & diet philosophy, Paula. And 3 thumbs up for your amazing arugula salad and honey mustard vinaigrette!
Natalie G says
So delicious! The pear looks wonderful in this.
Chris Baccus says
Will be making this tomorrow for lunch. So good and I have all the ingredients without a stop at the market.