Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

Do you eat salad before or after the main course?  In our family it was different depending on who was hosting.  On my Dad’s side – salad was the starting point to a nice meal and always served with my grandmother’s homemade blue cheese dressing.  On my Mom’s side, a very simple green salad was passed after the main course — but before the cheese course.  (It’s that French influence — a meal isn’t a meal without a cheese course.)  This Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing works well before — or after, and it’s what you want on your holiday table.

shallots and vinegar for the dressing
maple dijon dressing and whisk

I don’t have enough superlatives for this salad because the name doesn’t even include the best parts of it.  I mean, yes, there’s the Maple Dijon dressing, which  #hashtag doesn’t suck!

glazed spiced pecans

But there’s also these Glazed Spiced Pecans which you’re going to want to eat by the handful.  Sorry about that…

brushing baguettes with olive oil
toasted croutons with blue cheese

Also vying for your attention are these crispy gorgonzola croutons.  The croutons are lightly toasted in the oven before getting a crumble of gorgonzola or other blue cheese and a final melt in the oven.

Newsletter Signup
Join our community of food lovers!

Get my latest recipes, helpful kitchen tips and more good things each week in your inbox.

plating salads

For special occasions, I like to plate the salads ahead of time with the lettuce, seeds and pomegranates, then cover with plastic wrap and stack them in the fridge.

pear for the salads

Just before serving, slice the pear and fan it over the individual salads.

Gorgonzola croutons

While assembling the salads — get those croutons melting…

Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing and Gorgonzola Croutons

And let you’re guests drizzle on the dressing.  It’s sweet and tangy all at the same time.  A colorful, festive start (or end) to your holiday meal.

Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing with fork and napkin

Also try this Chicken Quinoa Harvest Salad for a main course salad that’s perfect for fall.

Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing on plates.

Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and review.

Your comments and shares are invaluable to me and the thousands of readers who use this site daily. If you've made the recipe, leave a star rating and review. We want to hear how you liked it.

We'd love it if you shared the recipe with your friends on social media!

Print Pin
4.43 from 7 votes

Pear Pomegranate Salad with Blue Cheese Toasts

A vibrant fall salad with pops of color and flavor. With glazed pecans and a maple-dijon dressing, it’s a perfect to start your holiday meal!
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword salad
Dietary Restrictions Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 8

INGREDIENTS:

For The Dressing

  • 1 shallot minced
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (can use white wine vinegar)
  • 2 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For The Salad

  • 2 heads lettuce red leaf, green leaf or bibb work well.
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 cup glazed spiced pecans recipe on this site
  • ½ cup pepitas
  • 2 ripe pears

For Gorgonzola Toasts:

  • 1 french baguette cut into 16 ½-inch rounds
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Make The Dressing:

  • In a small bowl combine the minced shallot and vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add the mustard, syrup, salt, pepper and olive oil and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Make the Gorgonzola Toasts:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°.  Brush the baguette slices lightly with olive oil on both sides.  Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.  Top each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of crumbled gorgonzola and return to the oven for an additional 5-6 minutes or until melted.

Assemble the salad:

  • Wash and dry the lettuce in a salad spinner. Tear the lettuce into 1-2″ pieces and divide among 8 salad plates.
  • Sprinkle each dish with 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, spiced pecans and 1 tablespoon each of pepitas. Slice the pears in half, vertically.  Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds, place the pear halves on a cutting board, cut side down and slice very thin slices from stem to the base of the pear.  Use ¼ of each pear for each salad.  Fan the pear slices over the salad.  Drizzle with dressing and serve.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Vitamin C: 8.1mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 2.3mg

“Pin It” For Later!

Need a fall or winter salad idea? Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing is a nice starter for holiday meals w/gorgonzola croutons & glazed pecans. #fallsaladrecipe #wintersaladrecipe #saladwithpears #pomegranate, #mapledijondressing #homemadedressing #gorgonzola #bluecheese #cheesecroutons #thanksgivingsalad #christmassalad #pears, #saladwithfruit #homemadedressing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

9 Comments

  1. Pat Stoddard says:

    5 stars
    This salad was delicious. I had an avocado that needed to be eaten so added it to the salad. I only made enough for two but I have enough ingredients left to make another one for myself tomorrow for lunch. I liked your comment that you stack the plates of salad minus the pears in the frig until ready to serve. Next time I host dinner and bridge I will serve this salad along with the gorgonzola rounds.

    1. I’m happy you enjoyed it, Pat! I wouldn’t have thought of avocado — but I love them, so I’m sure it was very tasty!

  2. 5 stars
    This is such a gorgeous and yummy sounding salad! Especially those pecans! And I love pears and pomegranates together in this!

  3. 5 stars
    Great timing. I have been tasked to bring the salad to our family dinner. Thanks for sharing your recipe:)

  4. 5 stars
    What a beautiful salad! Love this combination of flavors! So perfect for the upcoming holidays!

  5. colleen kennedy says:

    What a nice salad for this time of year! The maple dijon dressing looks scrumptious! The flavor combo I crave!

  6. Who needs mains when they can have this salad?? 😀 Those mini blue cheese toasts with the salad looks delish and yes I think I would be eating those glazed nuts by the handful haha! 🙂