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We’ve been enjoying salads a lot this summer. The warm weather makes me want to eat light and not heat up the kitchen. To be honest, our Houston days and evenings have been rather mild as far as temperatures go. We’ve had wonderful light breezes early in the mornings and late in the evenings. It think it’s because we have had more rain that we’ve had in previous summers. Anyway, because of our nicer evenings, we’ve been able to eat outside on the patio. On these warm evenings when we’re outside, I love to make hearty, flavorful salads that are filled with lots of crunch and different textures. This Smoky Pear Salad With Blue Cheese Crumbles is a perfect example of a dinner salad that is filling and not heavy.
The sweet pears are a fresh addition to this salad and their sweetness compliments the creamy, salty taste of the blue cheese. The smoky almonds are a lovely surprise of crunch and heat.
Simply slice 3 pears and add them to a large bowl. Add in a one pound bag or about 8-9 cups of your favorite lettuce ( I love a mixture of arugula and spring mix), a cup of crumbled blue cheese, thinly sliced red onions and chopped smoked almonds. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing which consists of olive oil, rice vinegar, a little orange juice, salt, pepper and a touch of sugar or sweetener. Easy, right?
I’ve been experimenting a lot with using different types of pears. I usually just use Bartlett pears when I make this salad but recently, I’ve been using asian pears which are a bit more crunchy. It’s fun to experiment and add a mixture of both.
If you’re thinking about serving a wine to go along with this Pear Salad, we would recommend a light, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
Smoky Pear Salad With Blue Cheese Crumbles
Ingredients
- 3 unpeeled pears (bartlett, asian or a combination), cored and thinly sliced
- 1 pound bag spring mix or gourmet lettuce mix
- 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup smoked almonds, chopped
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute (I like to use 1/2 stevia packet)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently toss the pears, lettuce, blue cheese, red onions and almonds together.
- In a small separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, white wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Pour over the salad and gently toss again.
