Easy to throw together but also pretty to serve, we adore this pear salad recipe with candied walnuts. The complementary combination of sweet juicy pears, punchy arugula and savoury parmesan cheese makes it a delicious side salad for autumn gatherings.
Add walnuts, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a small fry pan and fry over medium-high heat.
Stir frequently until syrup is caramelised and walnuts have gained a golden colour. This will take approximately about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from fry pan and let the candied walnuts cool down.
Cut pear in half lengthwise, remove core and then thinly slice.
Add sliced pear into a bowl of salted water to stop oxidisation.
Wash arugula and shake dry.
Salad Dressing
Mix together in a mason jar olive oil, lemon juice, seeded mustard, honey, mayonnaise and salt.
Shake until the dressing is well combined.
Assembly
In a mixing bowl, add arugula, dried cranberries, pepitas and ¾ of candied walnuts.
Drizzle with the creamy pear salad dressing and mix well together.
Transfer tossed salad to a serving platter.
Add slices of pear on top.
Scatter the remaining candied walnuts and shave parmesan cheese over the salad.
Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Video
Notes
You can substitute arugula with baby spinach leaves, mixed salad leaves or a combination of everything, so you still have some peppery flavours throughout.
If you don’t have walnuts, you can switch to pecans or hazelnuts. For a nut-free option, add extra pepita or add sunflower seeds.
Variation to parmesan, try blue cheese like gorgonzola, goat cheese, bocconcini or even burrata.
Best to choose ripe but firm pears for this salad recipe. Pears that are too ripe become a bit mushy for salad.
Make sure to add sliced pear into a bowl of salted water or use lemon juice to stop oxidisation.