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Pear Salad with Candied Walnuts

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Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • 3 cups butter lettuce, roughly torn
  • 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 ripe red Anjou pear, thinly sliced
  • Crumbled goat cheese and freshly chopped chives to garnish
  • CANDIED WALNUTS:
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 water
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions

  • To make the candied walnuts: Place sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil and cook until sugar dissolves, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Stop stirring and continue softly boiling the sugar until it turns a light caramel brown color. This will only take a couple of minutes, so keep an eye on the sugar! It will burn if you step away and forget about it.
  • Remove caramel from heat; carefully stir in nuts to coat evenly. Spread nuts on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Use a spatula, and, working quickly, spread the walnuts evenly on the parchment or silpat. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside until cool and then break into small pieces.
  • You can make the nuts several days ahead and store in an airtight container in your fridge.
  • To make the salad dressing: Combine vinegar and mustard, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Whisk in a squeeze of lemon juice and taste to see if you need to adjust the seasonings.
  • Add both lettuces to a salad bowl and toss to combine. Top with pear and candied walnuts. Drizzle dressing evenly over salad; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.