Pear Salad with Sugared Walnuts
(from Renee’s recipe box)
Source: Family Circle (from RecipeThing user mayflowerkids)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves 6 people
Categories: salad
Ingredients
- Salad
- 2 cups walnut halves
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 5 ounce arugula
- 1 small head butter or Bibb lettuce, cored, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 ripe pears, halved, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- Dressing
- 3 tablespoons raspberry-flavored or traditional balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey-Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
-
Salad
-
Combine nuts, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until almost all the liquid has cooked off, stirring constantly for the last 2 minutes. Pour nuts onto a foil-lined sheet and spread out. Let cool.
-
In large bowl, combine arugula, butter lettuce, pears, cranberries and blue cheese. Set aside.
-
Dressing
-
In a medium-size bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream. Gently toss salad with half of the dressing; serve remainder on the side. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the nuts and sprinkle over salad. Reserve extra nuts for snacking or another meal.