This Arugula Pear Salad is a delicious and easy salad for fall and winter. It has a balsamic fig vinaigrette and garlicky roasted pecans. It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty! You can serve it as a side at Thanksgiving or with any dinner, or turn it into a meal by adding rice and protein of your choice.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Pear Salad
The perfect balance of flavors - This salad has it all! It's sweet, savory, crunchy, and a little spicy. Sweet, juicy pears pair perfectly with the peppery arugula, salty feta, and tangy balsamic dressing. I usually use baby arugula for salads with fruit like this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, and it pairs well with pears as well!
Easy and simple - This salad has just 3 steps, and you can prep two of them ahead! You'll roast pecans with spices and herbs, whisk the dressing, and put everything together on a large platter. Both the dressing and the roasted pecans keep well so you can easily make them the day before.
Ingredients
- Arugula - I use baby arugula, which is crunchy, refreshing, and a little peppery. It pairs perfectly with the sweet pears.
- Pears - I used a Comice pear and a Bosc pear in this salad, but Bartlett, Anjou, or any other pears work as well. Look for pears that are firm but ripe with no brown or soft spots.
- Red onion - Red onion or shallots both go really well with this salad. You can soak the sliced onion in cold water to remove some of its bite.
- Feta cheese - Salty sheep or goat cheese feta works really well in this salad. I recommend using block feta and crumbling it yourself. It's always better than pre-crumbled feta, which has unnecessary additives.
- Roasted pecans - You'll need raw pecans, avocado oil, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, and sea salt. Roasted nuts add a nice crunch and more texture to the salad.
- Balsamic and fig dressing - The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig jam, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, fine sea salt, and black pepper.
Variations and Substitutions
- Apples - If you don't have pears, you can make the salad with sliced apples as well. I like sweeter red varieties for this salad.
- Greens - If you don't like spicy arugula, you can add baby spinach instead or other greens like chopped kale, baby kale, or even romaine lettuce.
- Cheese - If you don't have feta, you can crumble some soft goat cheese or blue cheese on top instead.
- Nuts - If you don't have pecans, you can use different nuts like almonds or walnuts. Alternatively, you could also use sunflower or pumpkin seeds, but they'll need less time in the oven because they're smaller.
- Grains - You can add some cooked quinoa or grains like farro, bulgur, or barley to add texture to the salad and make it more filling.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Roast the pecans: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Add pecans to the baking sheet and toss with avocado oil. Season them with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and sea salt. Toss again to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and roughly chop. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a jar or a bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig jam, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- Put together the salad: Spread the arugula on a large serving platter and slice your pears. I recommend squeezing lemon over the sliced pears before adding them to the salad to prevent them from browning. Top the arugula with sliced pears and crumbled feta. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with roasted pecans. Serve with balsamic glaze on the side for drizzling if desired, and enjoy!
Storing and Make-Ahead Options
You can prepare both the dressing and the roasted pecans ahead. The dressing can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can store the roasted pecans in a small container at room temperature for up to a week.
The salad tastes the best right after you make it. You can store it for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator if needed, but the arugula will wilt as it sits, and the sliced pears will soften and release juices. It will still be good to eat, but it just won't look as presentable and be as crunchy.
FAQs
You can serve it with Rossiterie chicken, roasted or sauteed chicken, salmon, steak, or practically any other meats. It's also delicious with roasted turkey and perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays!
Yes, just swap the feta for vegan feta or other vegan crumbly cheese!
Similar Arugula Salads
Below are four of my favorite simple arugula salads. The last two are also made with fruits (nectarines and strawberries), which are perfect for summer. To see all the latest ones and a ton of others, head over to Salad Recipes!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you tried this Arugula Pear Salad? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Hungry for more? Grab my free Top 10 Best Appetizers e-book, and don't forget to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
Print📖 Recipe
Arugula Pear Salad
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Salad
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Arugula Pear Salad is a delicious and easy salad for fall and winter. It has a balsamic fig vinaigrette and garlicky roasted pecans. It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty!
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw pecans
- 1 tsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp fig jam
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 5 oz box of baby arugula
- 1-2 pears, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- ½ cup feta cheese
- Balsamic glaze for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Roast the pecans: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Add pecans to the baking sheet and toss with avocado oil. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and sea salt. Toss again to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and roughly chop.
- Make the dressing: In a jar or a bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig jam, dijon mustard, grated garlic, fine sea salt, and black pepper.
- Put together the salad: Spread the arugula on a large serving platter and slice your pears. I recommend squeezing lemon over the sliced pears before adding them to the salad to prevent them from browning. Top the arugula with sliced pears and crumbled feta. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with roasted pecans. Serve with balsamic glaze on the side for drizzling if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Storing: This salad tastes the best on the day you make it, as arugula wilts down quite quickly. If you need to, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, it just won't look as presentable. You can make the roasted pecans a few days ahead and store them at room temperature if needed. The dressing will also last 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight jar.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Leave a Reply