Fruit can add so much texture and flavour to a salad, without adding a lot of extra calories, which is why we love this Easy Pear Salad. This hearty and flavourful salad is a bed of mixed greens, topped with roasted sweet potato, slices of pear and sprinkled with pecans and feta.
This salad really does have it all, but it's easy to adapt too. Crunchy pear and roasted sweet potato on top of leafy greens and all tossed together in a homemade balsamic dressing for some extra sweetness. It makes a great winter salad. If you are new to fruit in salads, then a pear salad is a good place to start. Serve a big portion as a main meal, or divide it up as a side to chicken or fish.
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Why should you try it?
- A hearty and filling salad
- Fruit adds lots of flavour to salad without lots of calories
- Easy to adapt
- Can be a main meal or a side.
What you will need
- Pear - The star of this salad. We have given lots of tips below on how to choose the best pears, so you get the most out of the salad.
- Sweet potato - This helps to make the salad nice and filling. You could swap it for white potato, or even butternut squash.
- Olive oil - Try to use the best quality olive oil that you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference in the dressing.
- Balsamic vinegar - As with the olive oil, try to use a really good quality one. Cheap balsamic tends to be really thin.
- Mustard - We used a good quality Dijon mustard for the dressing, however you could swap it for wholegrain.
- Honey - Honey and pears go so well together, and it adds a nice sweetness to the dressing.
- Salad leaves - The great thing about a salad, is that it is easy to adapt - especially with the salad leaves. We used a butterhead and spinach mix, however you can use your favourite mix. Rocket (arugula) will add a nice peppery flavour.
- Feta - Cheese and pear are delicious together and we think the creaminess of feta is perfect for this salad.
- Pine nuts and pecans - These add a lovely crunch to the salad. You can swap them for your favourite nuts and seeds.
Step by step
One: Put the cubes of sweet potato on a baking tray and add the oil. Mix well and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 25 minutes, stirring once.
Two: Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing.
Three: Put the salad leaves in a large bowl and add the dressing. Mix well.
Four: Top with cooked sweet potato and slices of pear and then sprinkle over the feta, pecans and pine nuts.
What pears to use?
You can use any type of pear you like, or have available, to make this salad. However it is important that the pear is nice and ripe, as it will give the salad plenty of flavour, but still firm so they can be sliced. The pear should have a bit of give when squeezed, but anything softer will make a mushy salad.
If your pears aren't quite ripe yet, then you can speed up the ripening process by putting them in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana or apple at room temperature and it should ripen in a couple of days.
What else can I add?
This is a really easy salad to adapt, but at the same time you don't want to have too many flavours competing against each other. If you want to add more sweetness, then you could put some apple slices with the pears. Or, you could add some strawberries or pomegranate for sweetness too.
Feel free to mix up the greens that you use too. We used a bag of mixed salad greens, but you could use a mix of spinach, kale, rocket and butterhead.
Roasted sweet potato adds lots of sweetness and texture to this, however you could use regular white new potatoes or roast up some butternut squash. You could also swap the feta for blue cheese or shaved parmesan and the pecans for walnuts.
Salad dressing
A salad dressing can really make or break a salad and this dressing definitely makes it. Although this is already a sweet salad, we have made it that little bit sweeter with a balsamic dressing. I would recommend using a vinaigrette, like a balsamic or lemon one, rather than a creamy dressing, as they don't tend to go as well with the pear.
What to serve it with
This is a pretty hearty and filling salad as it is, but if you wanted to add some protein to it, then some leftover Slow Cooker Whole Chicken would work, or just grill up and slice some chicken.
If chicken isn't your thing, then grilled salmon or cubes of roasted tofu would work.
FAQs
The great thing about this salad is the crisp pears. If you store it to eat later, the pears can go a little soft and the greens can go soggy. So, it's best to eat it straight after making it. However you could eat any leftovers for lunch the next day.
The dressing could be made in advance though, and stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
Extra tips
- You can swap the feta for blue cheese and the pecans for walnuts.
- Feel free to mix up the greens used. Rocket, spinach, kale and butterhead all work well with this.
- If you want to make this a more filling salad, then leftover shredded chicken works well with it.
- Although the salad is best made fresh, you could make the dressing in advance and it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- A sprinkling of dried cherries or cranberries would be a good addition to this salad.
- Add some extra colour by using different coloured pears.
- Take this salad to the next level by adding candied pecans rather than regular pecans.
- Add some finely diced shallot to the dressing for extra flavour.
- Cut the pears and dress the salad right before serving to avoid the pears browning and the salad leaves getting soggy.
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DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓
Recipe
Easy Pear Salad
Ingredients
- 110 g sweet potato peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 100 g mixed salad greens
- 2 pears thinly sliced
- 50 g feta crumbled
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- 10 pecans crumbled
Instructions
- Put the cubes of sweet potato on a baking tray and add the oil. Mix well and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 25 minutes, stirring once.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing.
- Put the salad leaves in a large bowl and add the dressing. Mix well.
- Top with cooked sweet potato and slices of pear and then sprinkle over the feta, pecans and pine nuts.
Notes
- You can swap the feta for blue cheese and the pecans for walnuts.
- Feel free to mix up the greens used. Rocket, spinach, kale and butterhead all work well with this.
- If you want to make this a more filling salad, then leftover shredded chicken works well with it.
- Although the salad is best made fresh, you could make the dressing in advance and it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- A sprinkling of dried cherries or cranberries would be a good addition to this salad.
- Add some extra colour by using different coloured pears.
- Take this salad to the next level by adding candied pecans rather than regular pecans.
- Add some finely diced shallot to the dressing for extra flavour.
- Cut the pears and dress the salad right before serving to avoid the pears browning and the salad leaves getting soggy.
J Kathol
Loved the combinations of flavors in this salad and so easy to make. I did use goat cheese as that is what was on hand. Next time I will try adding !the dried cherries or cranberries. Happy to have this recipe in my file.
Dannii
So glad you enjoyed it. It is one of our favourite salads.
Anita
I have never paired pears and sweet potatoes in a salad, but this is one combo that I will go to from now on. So delicious and so colorful. :)
Angela
Pears and sweet potatoes are a match made in heaven! This salad is sooo good! Love the sweetened dressing and the healthy ingredients.
Jacqueline Meldrum
That is the most amazing salad I have seen in a long time Dannii. I am definitely making this one. Thanks x
Jere Cassidy
I totally love pears and I love fruit in my salads. Your salad is so full of all the goodies that makes a great salad.
Emily Liao
This pear salad is so delicious and fresh! It was perfect for a warm day too.
henry
wow delicious
jhon
HELPFUL
Jacque Hastert
This salad looks perfect for this time of year! I love that it is loaded with fresh flavors and has just the right amount of crunch.
Priya Lakshminarayan
That salad looks absolutely stunning..I am making this when I get pears next
Mahy
I haven't made a salad with pears for a long time now. So really excited to try your recipe - it certainly looks amazing!
Cathleen
This is one of my favourite combos for salad. I almost always order it in restaurants but have never made it at home. Looks amazing!!
Irina
Love this salad that combines everything possible and impossible: colors, texture, flavors, and taste. I have just made it for our lunch: it is delicious! I should double the recipe! :)
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
My favourite way to eat sweet potato is to roast it so this looks perfect for a salad, especially with the pecans too.
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
I'm not a fan of pears on their own (to me, they have a mealy texture), but they're phenomenal in this salad! There are so many flavors and textures going on, but they don't compete with each other. I'll have to try this with the butternut squash next: I'm sure that will be delicious too!
Kushigalu
What a great salad recipe packed with full of flavor. Perfect for weather here.
Danielle Wolter
The flavors in this were just incredible! The pear and sweet potato paired just perfectly with the feta cheese. Great recipe!
Emmeline Kemperyd
What a great idea to put pears in a salad - I don't think I ever had that before. And of course I love the feta on top as well...
Michelle
I love all the flavors in this salad. They go together so perfectly. I especially like the bites with pecans and pears