Description
This Arugula Pear Salad a simple combination of baby arugula with sliced pears, toasted walnuts, and shaved parmesan, all tossed together in a homemade red wine vinaigrette dressing. It’s perfect to serve with pasta, pizza, or any weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 5oz baby arugula
- 2 pears, sliced thin (I like Bartlett or Anjou)
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Red wine vinaigrette (recipe below)
Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Set a dry medium skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the walnuts in a single layer. Stir the walnuts for 3 to 6 minutes until they’re fragrant and a deep shade of brown. Keep a close eye on them since they can burn quickly if left unattended. Transfer the walnuts to a cutting board to let cool, then roughly chop them.
- Make the dressing. In a jar with a fitted lid, add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, dried oregano, garlic (if using), and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Seal the jar and give it a good shake until the dressing ingredients are well combined. Don’t have a jar? Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Assemble the salad and serve. In a large bowl, add the arugula and sliced pear. Drizzle half of the prepared dressing on the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Sprinkle to chopped toasted walnuts and shaved parmesan over the salad. Drizzle the remaining half of the dressing over everything and serve immediately. Taste best when fresh.
Notes
- Make-ahead instructions: The salad dressing can be made up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The walnuts can be toasted up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- This salad tastes best when fresh. Wait until just before serving to toss the salad with the dressing and adding the sliced pear, toasted walnuts, and shaved parmesan.
- Leftovers? Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The arugula will wilt, but the salad will still taste delicious.
- Nutrition information is a rough estimate based on 4 servings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 167mg
- Fat: 22.7g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18.6g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5.1g
- Cholesterol: 7mg