Arugula and Pear Salad with Spiced Pecans - The Real Recipes (2024)

If you want to take your salad game to the next level, you have to give this Arugula and Pear Salad with Spiced Pecans a try. The flavors are perfectly balanced, there is contrasting and complimentary textures, and it tastes like a restaurant-quality salad.

We make and eat a lot of salads here at The Real Recipes. Whether it’s a quick summer side like this Burrata Caprese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette, a crunchy and colorful slaw like our Purple Cabbage Slaw, or a more composed dinner salad like this Za’atar Chicken and Crispy Pita Salad, we love getting our servings of veggies in salad-form!

I don’t typically use too much hyperbole; in fact, I’m often accused of being a bit overly self deprecating. But having said that, this Arugula and Pear Salad is my absolute favorite salad. Yes, it’s quite basic, but there are simple techniques used to really elevate the flavor and texture of this salad with arugula and pears.

You can certainly scroll (or click above) to simply grab the recipe, but if you want to learn about what makes this salad so special, read on!

Ingredients that Matter

The ingredients for this recipe are seasonal to fall and winter, but you can certainly make it anytime of year (so long as you can find pears!). Here are the ingredients that make this salad so special:

• Arugula. This crisp, peppery leafy green is delicious raw in salads, like our Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad recipe. It’s typically sold in 5 ounce packages (or 10 ounces) and is often pre-washed, though it’s never a bad idea to wash all packaged greens. If you don’t like the peppery bite of arugula, use baby spinach, baby kale or baby lettuces.
• Pear. Use one or two pears, depending on if you are serving this as a side for a weeknight dinner or for a larger holiday party. And use whatever tastes best. We’ll go over verities later, but there are no bad options here! And I actually recommend a slightly under ripe (meaning slightly firm) pear so it won’t breakdown when the salad is tossed. Plus a super ripe pear could make the salad overly sweet and wet. (Use your own judgement by taking a nibble of the pear before adding it to your salad)
• Pecans. The salad is topped with some spiced pecans. Start with a half cup of pecans then give them a chop and mix with maple, oil and seasoning. You can certainly swap in walnuts instead of pecans.
• Spices. The pecans are tossed with a bit of ground cinnamon for some warm spice along with a pinch of cayenne pepper. The cayenne provides a bit of heat without making the dish feel spicy.
• Shallot. A medium shallot is used to flavor the dressing and as a garnish for the salad. Instead of mincing the shallot and adding it to the dressing, we instead thinly slice the shallot and let it soak in the vinegar. Then the shallots are removed and saved as a salad topper. This imparts an allium flavor to the vinaigrette, without leaving behind an overly sulfur flavor.
• Dressing. The dressing is made with white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, whole grain mustard and olive oil.
• Goat Cheese. Crumbled goat cheese is the final garnish for the salad. It provides a balance of creaminess, plus it has a little tart bite making it a perfect flavor compliment to the peppery arugula and sweet pears.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Putting together a salad is super easy and fast, but there are some simple techniques in this recipe that really elevate it to a greater level. Here is how the recipe comes together:

Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Place chopped pecans on a baking sheet and toss olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt. Toss well until evenly coated then bake until well toasted, about 10 minutes. The nuts may still feel a bit sticky, but they will dry out as they cool.

Add white balsamic vinegar and thinly sliced shallots to a medium bowl and toss well. Let the shallots sit in the vinegar for 5 minutes then remove the shallots to a small bowl. Soaking the shallots imparts allium flavor to the vinegar while the vinegar tames the sulfur heat of the shallots. The shallots will have almost a sweet, pickle-like flavor with a quick soak in the vinegar.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the shallot-infused vinegar with mustard, maple and salt until smooth. Then slowly add the oil while continuing to whisk to emulsify the dressing.

See Also

Max and Erma's Tortilla Soup RecipeCheap Recipe: Chewy Homemade Sourdough CroutonsRuth's Chris Corn Pudding Recipe - Delish SidesRed Robin Mac And Cheese Recipe

Finally, add the arugula to a large bowl then add the pears, goat cheese, shallots and (about half) pecans on top. Be sure to leave the dressing on the side and serve with more goat cheese, pecans and shallots. Wait to dress the salad until ready to eat.

Hint: So what’s the story with white balsamic vinegar? It’s related to regular balsamic vinegar but not cooked nor aged as long as regular balsamic. It has a sweet, fruity flavor and I like it for it’s mild color and flavor. I like it so much we even have a White Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe, perfect for salads, grilled veggies and more.

Substitutions

While I think this recipe hits all the right notes for a salad, I recognize everyone has their own personal preferences and dietary needs. Here are some suggested substitutions:

• Arugula – If you don’t like the peppery flavor of arugula, try swapping in baby spinach, baby kale or baby lettuce greens.
• Goat Cheese – Not a goat cheese fan? No problem, try using crumbled blue cheese or shredded parmesan.
• White Balsamic Vinegar – If you’ve never had white balsamic, I strong suggest you give it a try! It’s one of my favorite vinegars and one I think deserves more attention. However, you can certainly use regular balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or even lemon juice.
• Pecans – Have a nut allergy? Leave out the pecans and instead use a seed like pepitas or sunflower. Or, if you just don’t like pecans, use walnuts instead.
• Dairy-Free/Vegan – Make this recipe vegan and dairy-free by leaving out the goat cheese.

Pear Varieties

Depending on where you live, you likely have access to several different varieties of pears. Their season is the fall, but you can typically find them year round. Here are some of the common pear verities you’ll find in the U.S.

• Bartlett – This is the most common variety of pear you’ll find in the U.S. and Canada. It has a slight yellowish-green color and is soft and very juicy when ripe.
• Bosc – Typically brown color and super firm, even when ripe, Bosc pears are slightly sweet. Since they stay firm even when firm, they are great for poaching or eating raw whenever you need some crisp texture.
• Green D‘Anjou – A green pear that is moderately firm and sweet when ripe, this is another pear you’ll find readily available. Like the Bartlett, the Green Anjou is a great all-around pear and can be used for cooking or eating raw. This is the pear I used for the photos in this post.
• Red D’Anjou – This is, essentially, the red version of the green D’Anjou pear. Another great option for eating raw or cooking.

So how do you pick a pear? Look for pears without a lot of dark spots, which could be bruising from handling. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the stem-end of the pear. It should have a little give if it’s ripe. And note that you likely won’t find a ripe pear in the grocery store; instead, you’ll likely need to let them sit on the counter for a few days to fully ripen.

Make Ahead

This salad is great to make ahead of time, especially for a holiday meal. Start by cleaning and drying the arugula and place in a the serving bowl or platter. You can have the greens ready to go up to 3 days ahead of time.

Next, you can make the pecans up to 1 day ahead and store in an airtight container on the counter. Make the dressing up to 1 day ahead, as well. Be sure to only soak the shallots for about 5 minutes and store them in a separate container (from everything) in the fridge. Store the dressing in a jar or airtight container in the fridge.

The morning of the meal, you can add sliced pears and goat cheese, then dress the salad just before serving and garnish with the marinated shallots and more pecan.

If you are looking for more make ahead holiday recipes, try our sides like these Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts or our Roasted Honeynut Squash with Maple Pecans, or a starter like this Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup. And if you need some brunch ideas for the day after the holiday, try our Brioche French Toast Casserole or our Chocolate Baked Oatmeal.

FAQ

More Salads

Looking for more salad recipes like this? Try these:

Dinner Ideas

Need some dinner inspiration? Try these recipes:

Print