Pear Gorgonzola Salad (Printable)

Sweet pears meet tangy Gorgonzola with crisp greens and walnuts in honey-balsamic dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
04 - 0.5 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
05 - 0.25 cup dried cranberries

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.
02 - In a large salad bowl, toss the mixed greens lightly with half of the prepared dressing to evenly coat.
03 - Arrange the pear slices, Gorgonzola crumbles, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries over the dressed greens.
04 - Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad just before serving to maintain crispness and prevent sogginess.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon thinking about it.
  • The honey-balsamic dressing is so good you'll find yourself making extra and drizzling it on other things.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free without feeling like it's trying to be, which somehow makes it feel more elegant.
02 -
  • Don't dress the whole salad ahead of time—I learned this the hard way when I prepped for a potluck and arrived with sad, wilted greens instead of the fresh, crisp salad I'd imagined.
  • Ripe pears oxidize quickly and turn brown, so slice them at the very last moment and assemble the salad immediately, or they'll lose their appeal faster than you'd expect.
  • If you're using store-bought Gorgonzola, taste a tiny piece first because some brands are aggressively salty while others are creamy and mild—you might need to adjust the salt in the dressing accordingly.
03 -
  • Slice your pears directly into the salad bowl instead of on a cutting board so you catch all the juice and minimize browning.
  • If your Gorgonzola is very hard, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before crumbling so it breaks into better pieces instead of shattering.
  • The honey in the dressing will be easier to whisk in if you warm the olive oil slightly first, or just let the small bowl sit in warm water for a minute before combining everything.
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