Poached Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette
Elevate your salad game with this elegant Poached Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette—a perfect balance of flavor and texture. Juicy pears, delicately poached in white wine with a hint of vanilla, take center stage atop a bed of fresh mixed greens. Crumbled blue cheese lends a creamy, tangy richness, while toasted walnuts and dried cranberries add crunch and a pop of sweetness. The salad is finished with a silky champagne vinaigrette, featuring a touch of honey and Dijon mustard for a refined, zesty finish. Perfect for dinner parties, holiday gatherings, or simply treating yourself, this show-stopping salad is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 pieces Pears (ripe but firm, such as Bosc or Anjou)
- 500 ml Dry white wine
- 250 ml Water
- 100 g Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 6 cups Mixed greens (e.g., arugula, spinach, or mesclun mix)
- 100 g Blue cheese (crumbled)
- 50 g Walnuts (toasted)
- 50 g Dried cranberries
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 0.25 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact, and cut a small slice off the bottom of each pear so they stand upright.
In a medium saucepan, combine the white wine, water, sugar, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer.
Lower the pears into the liquid, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover with a piece of parchment paper to keep the pears beneath the surface, and poach for 15-20 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and allow the pears to cool in the poaching liquid.
Meanwhile, prepare the champagne vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, champagne vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat to cool.
Assemble the salad: Divide the mixed greens evenly among four plates. Slice the poached pears in half lengthwise, remove the core, and place two halves on each plate of greens.
Top the salad with crumbled blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries.
Drizzle the champagne vinaigrette over each plate and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
606 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 29.0 g | 37% | |
| Saturated Fat | 7.2 g | 36% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 22 mg | 7% | |
| Sodium | 631 mg | 27% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 59.3 g | 22% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.9 g | 21% | |
| Total Sugars | 46.3 g | ||
| Protein | 8.8 g | 18% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% | |
| Calcium | 202 mg | 16% | |
| Iron | 1.7 mg | 9% | |
| Potassium | 468 mg | 10% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
