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Garlic & Zest

Gourmet Cooking at Home!

Warm Caramelized Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Glazed Walnuts

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This post has been sponsored by Diamond Nuts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You won’t believe how easy and delicious this Warm Caramelized Pear Gorgonzola Salad is to make. With just a handful of ingredients, like baby kale and warm sherry vinegar dressing, this fancy-enough-for-company dish makes a great start to a meal. I use Diamond of California’s Nut Toppings for a spectacular garnish. Their Glazed Walnuts are the best part of this pear salad and add amazing sweetness and crunch to the dish.

 

Ingredients for the pear salad with a savings reward card.

How To Save On Warm Caramelized Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Glazed Walnuts

 

Who doesn’t like to save a little money and earn rewards when you’re doing what you normally do—like, say, grocery shopping? With Winn Dixie and Southeastern Grocers, I even save and earn when I’m snacking on my favorite Diamond Nuts—liketheir Original Glazed Walnuts. 

 

Diamond Glazed Walnuts and receipt from Southeastern Grocers.

On this trip to Winn Dixie, I lucked out and got an instant discount of .50 cents off the Glazed Walnuts (should have bought two bags) as well as the other ingredients I used in this caramelized pear gorgonzola salad. You can also get similar deals at other participating Southeastern Grocers like Bi-Lo, Fresco y Más, and Harvey’s Supermarket.

 

Glazed Walnuts from the package.

Admittedly, my favorite part of any salad are the crunchy tidbits and add-ons that make it really special. When it comes to Diamond Nuts Nut Toppings, I can’t help snacking on those crunchy, sweet, and savory morsels while I’m assembling the dish. I’m betting you won’t have that willpower either. They’re too irresistible. A handful for me, a handful for the pear salad…

 

cooking the pears and shallots.

Speaking of the pear and gorgonzola salad, you’re gonna want to start with the pears.

Preparing The Pears For Pear Gorgonzola Salad

  1. Use firm but ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears for this recipe.
  2. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler and slice the pears into quarters.
  3. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seed pocket.
  4. If you can, try and keep the stem attached to the pears for presentation.

 

Glazing the warm pears with honey.

How To Make Caramelized Pears

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and sauté the pears on one side for a few minutes until they start to soften and take on some color.
  2. Flip the pears and continue cooking.
  3. Add the sliced shallots, gently stirring until the shallots become tender and translucent.
  4. Add the honey and flip the fruit and shallots around in the pan to coat. 
  5. Transfer the pears to a plate to keep warm, and then continue with the shallots and honey glaze to make the dressing.

 

making the warm sherry vinaigrette and dressing the salad.

The standout to this simple pear and gorgonzola salad is the warm sherry vinegar and dijon spiked dressing. The key to the dressing is using the same pan and residual fond from the caramelized pears to whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Ingredients For Warm Caramelized Pear Dressing

To the shallot and honey mixture that you cooked the pears in, add:

  • Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
  • Sherry Wine Vinegar
  • Olive Oil
  • Parsley
  • Salt & Pepper

 

assembling the warm pear gorgonzola salad with cheese and nuts.

Arrange the warm caramelized pears on a bed of baby kale and dress with the warm honey, shallot, and dijon dressing. Finish the pear salad with tangy, salty gorgonzola cheese and a handful of Diamond of California Original Glazed Walnuts.

 

Sprinkling Diamond Glazed Walnuts over the salad.

These glazed walnuts have just the right crunch to offset the meltingly tender fruit. They also add a sweet contrast to the crumbly piquant gorgonzola cheese. This pear salad is a simple one, but with so many textures, flavors AND temperatures—you won’t stop until your plate is cleaned.

 

Pear salad with cheese and nuts.

More Delicious Fall Salads:

  • Farro Pomegranate Kale Salad
  • Quinoa Chicken Harvest Salad
  • Crunchy Cabbage and Kale Salad
  • Brussel Apple Fennel Slaw
  • Pear Pomegranate Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
  • Shaved Raw Brussels Sprouts Cranberry and Quinoa Salad

 

Serving the warm caramelized pear gorgonzola salad with a photo of the Diamond Glazed Walnuts.

Head over to your local Southeastern Grocers to stock up on everything you’ll need for this amazing Pear Gorgonzola Salad and pick up an extra bag of Diamond Glazed Walnuts because, trust me, you’re gonna want ’em.

 

overhead shot of the salad.

 

Warm Caramelized Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Glazed Walnuts

Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: christmas, pear, starter, thanksgiving
Dietary Restrictions: Gluten-Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 348kcal
An easy, delicious salad with warm honey-caramelized pears, tangy gorgonzola cheese, and delicious candied walnuts.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 D'Angjou or Bartlett pears
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large shallot peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
  • 6 ounces baby kale
  • 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup Diamond of California Nut Toppings Original Glazed Walnuts

Instructions

  • Peel the pears and slice them into quarters. Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds. Set aside.
  • In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the pears and cook without touching for 2-3 minutes. Turn the pears to another side and add the shallots. Continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes and flip the pears to the last side. Add the honey and kosher salt, and simmer for an additional 2 minutes—drizzling the pears with the honey butter mixture as it simmers, becomes slightly golden and caramelized, and shallots are soft and translucent. Remove the pears from the pan and set aside. 
  • Add the dijon mustard, black pepper, sherry wine vinegar, olive oil and chopped parsley to the honey-shallot mixture and whisk to combine.
  • Arrange the kale leaves on individual plates and top each with 2 caramelized pears. Divide the gorgonzola and Diamond Nuts Glazed Walnuts between each of the plates. Drizzle with the honey-shallot dressing. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 447mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 4640IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 1mg

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Appetizers// Salads20 Comments

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Comments

  1. Trish Bozeman says

    October 3, 2019 at 10:08 AM

    The pears, the glazed walnuts, the blue cheese, everything in this dish sounds so perfect! Gotta try those walnuts for sure.

    Reply
  2. Trish Bozeman says

    September 26, 2019 at 12:21 PM

    Oooh pear and walnuts were made for each other! I love walnuts in salad, but don’t always just toss them without candying them, etc. These Diamond glazed ones would be perfect for me!

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    September 26, 2019 at 8:10 AM

    I absolutely love gorgonzola salads with fruit and bitter greens! It’s like one of my favorite things in life. There’s so many awesome flavors here!! And I love that you cooked the pears in butter– YUM!!! I need to try this, and also buy some of those glazed walnuts to go on my salads. Glazed nuts make salads so much more satisfying (and Diamond nuts are so yummy and easy to find!!!)

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 26, 2019 at 3:01 PM

      I couldn’t agree more Sarah!

      Reply
  4. Donna says

    September 25, 2019 at 6:14 AM

    Thos caramelized pears!!! They pair so well with the candied walnuts and take the whole salad to another level!

    Reply
  5. Dana says

    September 24, 2019 at 3:28 PM

    Yesss! I absolutely LOVE Diamond’s glazed nuts. They’re amazing on salads—especially fall salads. They go so well with the juicy pears and funky gorgonzola. Making the perfect salad is a balancing act and this one hits all the right notes.

    Reply
  6. Gloria says

    September 24, 2019 at 1:54 PM

    What a delicious sounding salad. Elegant enough for entertaining with guests. The perfect start to a meal. I could for sure make this the main event.

    Reply
  7. Julie Menghini says

    September 24, 2019 at 11:01 AM

    I love everything about this salad. It’s sweet, savory, and crunchy, I can’t wait to use your tip on using a melon baller to remove the core of the pears too. I buy Emerald nuts for delicious salads like this and keep them in my desk at work for that afternoon snack attack. A handful keeps me perfectly happy until dinner.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 25, 2019 at 6:59 AM

      Those nuts are pretty addictive — ideal for a snack attack.

      Reply
  8. Jenni LeBaron says

    September 22, 2019 at 10:33 PM

    I am positively drooling looking at the photos of this salad. I think pear and gorgonzola were made for each other and I love using them in salad come fall, but I have always glazed my own walnuts. I am going to keep an eye out for these Diamond glazed walnuts because that sounds like such a great timesaver!

    Reply
  9. Melissa says

    September 20, 2019 at 8:04 AM

    I love pear in salads! Love that they are caramelized, I’ve never tried that! And I had no idea Diamond made glazed nuts, I definitely need to look more closely at the options next time I’m at the store!

    Reply
  10. Gloria says

    September 17, 2019 at 8:20 AM

    Wow this salad looks amazing. Pefect for lunch, brunch and dinner too. The pears look amazing, and I can just imagine how delcious they would taste.

    Reply
  11. Sara Welch says

    September 13, 2019 at 2:52 PM

    I know what I will be having for lunch today! What a perfectly light, but flavorful salad!

    Reply
  12. Andrea says

    September 13, 2019 at 2:27 PM

    Oh my goodness, the caramelized pears with the punch of the Gorgonzola and the sweet, nutty flavor of the Diamond Glazed Walnuts just sounds so divine. I can’t wait to make this.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 13, 2019 at 6:01 PM

      Thanks, Andrea! Let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  13. Tisha says

    September 13, 2019 at 1:06 PM

    Diamond Glazed Walnuts make the perfect addition to this salad! Added crunch is always good in a salad!

    Reply
  14. Traci says

    September 13, 2019 at 1:01 PM

    Wow! Pears, gorgonzola, AND Diamond glazed walnuts combined with the fact that everything you touch turns to gold. This is a winning combo!! Thanks for sharing another winner!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 13, 2019 at 6:10 PM

      Traci, you are too kind!

      Reply
  15. Beth Neels says

    September 13, 2019 at 12:45 PM

    This is such a delicious salad! I love the caramelized pears and the glazed walnuts add a lovely crunch! Thanks for sharing! I will certainly make it again!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 13, 2019 at 12:47 PM

      Thanks so much, Beth! Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply

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Lisa

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