Winter Green Salad Pear Walnuts (Printable Version)
Fresh mixed greens, sweet pears, and crunchy candied walnuts in a tangy vinaigrette for a light meal.
# What You Need:
→ Greens
01 - 4 cups mixed winter greens (arugula, baby spinach, frisée, or kale)
→ Fruit
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
→ Candied Walnuts
03 - 1 cup walnut halves
04 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
06 - Pinch of sea salt
→ Cheese
07 - 2 oz crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese (optional)
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
10 - 2 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add sugar and walnuts, stirring frequently until the sugar melts and coats the walnuts (about 4–5 minutes). Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Transfer to parchment paper and let cool.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine mixed greens and pear slices.
04 - Add cooled candied walnuts and crumbled cheese (if using) to the bowl.
05 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately, garnished with extra walnuts or cheese as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between crispy candied walnuts and tender greens makes every bite feel intentional, not accidental.
- It comes together in 30 minutes total, yet tastes like you spent the morning fussing over it.
- The vinaigrette is tangy enough to wake up winter greens without drowning them.
02 -
- Don't slice your pears until the last possible moment, or they'll brown and turn mealy-looking—they still taste fine, but the presentation suffers.
- The candied walnuts will harden as they cool, which is exactly what you want; resist the urge to stir them while they're still warm or they'll clump.
03 -
- Watch the walnuts like a hawk while they candy—they go from perfectly caramelized to bitter in about 30 seconds, so don't walk away.
- A tiny bit of extra salt on the warm walnuts makes them taste more like themselves, more like nuts.