This Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Candied Pecans is an autumn staple! It’s one of my go-to entertaining salads because it’s easy to prep in advance and it tastes amazing.
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Making Vinaigrette for Pear Gorgonzola Salad
A gorgonzola, pecan and pear salad is super easy to make. All you have to do is arrange the pears over a bed of field greens and top with crumbled cheese and candied pecans.
As with most recipes when you’ll be focusing on very simple ingredients, go for the highest quality you can afford. While pears, pecans and field greens aren’t particularly expensive, you’ll want to use a really nice vinaigrette.
This is a good time to open that designer bottle of vinegar or oil that you were given last Christmas and never could figure out what to make with it!
My mom usually buys me really interesting oils and vinegars. The latest was D’Anjou Pear White Balsamic Vinegar from her local farmer’s market.
“You’ve got to blog something with this,” she told me many times, “It’s delicious!”
I kept telling her, “How can I write about a product that can’t be found outside Southern California?”
But that’s when it occurred to me. It’s not about that balsamic. It’s about using the ones you’ve been saving for a special occasion. As long as you know the basic principles of making a vinaigrette, you can use that special vinegar or olive oil.
A real, homemade vinaigrette takes only minutes to whip up and tastes infinitely better than a store bought dressing.
What You’ll Need for Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
It really doesn’t matter so much if you use arugula, field greens or romaine, walnuts or pecans, blue cheese or feta, pears, apples or nectarines! Experiment, create, and discover a version of this salad that is your own.
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1-2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
- 1/2 cup candied pecans (store bought or make your own – see recipe below!)
- 8 cups field greens washed and dried
- 4 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbled
- 1 pear ripe, washed and quartered into thin slices
How Do You Cut Pears for Salad?
For an elegant presentation, I like to cut my pears into thin slices and fan them out on top of the salad. Another option is to dice them into nice bite-sized pieces.
Start by cutting the pear into quarters, then cut out the core. Lay the quarters flat side down.
Next you can cut the quarters into thin slices, or cut them into strips and then cut crosswise to dice.
Pears bruise easily and ripen better off the tree. Look for pears with intact stems and unblemished skin. To ripen, leave them on your counter for three to five days.
I hope you’ll enjoy this Pear and Gorgonzola Salad!
Pear And Gorgonzola Salad with Candied Pecans
Ingredients
Dressing
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1-2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
Salad
- 8 cups field greens washed and dried
- 4 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbled
- 1 pear ripe, washed and quartered into thin slices
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk all ingredients for dressing together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Candied Pecans
- Heat the sugar and pecans over a medium heat until sugar begins to melt.
- Shake pan and stir pecans so that they are lightly coated with sugar, add pinch of cayenne if desired. When sugar begins to turn caramel colored.
- Turn off heat and dump nuts on a cookie sheet to cool. Break up nuts when cool.
For the Salad
- Divide field greens or arugula between 4 plates. Arrange 1/4 sliced pear on each plate. Top with crumbled gorgonzola and candied pecans. Drizzle with salad dressing.
Kim Ritner says
I totally agree, use those luxuries now. I always have. My grandma use to get out her special Blue Willow tea cups for us to use when we were little. She loved them and told us the tea tasted better in them. And it did!
I will light some candles tonight!
Thanks for the tips on vinaigrettes.
Cynthia says
Kim, I light scented candles all the time now! I’m sure you have really great artisan oils and vinegars up in SB! I’ve gotten some really good olive oil at a little shop in Ventura in Old Town.
Denise@BeBetsy says
Hi! Love to us various vinegars and oils as well. This is a geat template for building a fantastic and interesting dressing. Great heartfelt post. I’m OVER 50 (closing in on the next BIG _0. It’s shocking but really a great time to live.) In my mind I’m 35 and that’s all that matters. 🙂
Please come by and share your great ideas through our newly launched – Simply the Best – easily post your great ideas on our site with a link back to your blog and we’ll talk you up on our social networks too.
Thanks and Best of Days!
Denise@BeBetsy says
Typos and a lot of “greats” – oh well. Must be that over 50 thing! 🙂
Cynthia says
No worries Denise! Thanks for stopping by. I would love to link with you. I know I like you of FB…I’ll stop by your website!
Dawn says
50 in my mind is 30 with 20 years experience
Cynthia says
@Dawn, totally!!! That’s how old I feel anyway!
Cynthia says
Denise, Trying to find you…Are you the Simply The Best in Florida?
Julie says
Love this post!!!!! Enjoy NOW!!! Thanks for putting life into perspective. Love you lots. Say hi to the girls from Auntie.
Cynthia says
XO!
Ann from Sumptuous Spoonfuls says
The salad is just beautiful and the message is so spot on! I’m going to go make something special right now. And light a few candles while I’m at it. Maybe I’ll even put a bottle of wine in the fridge for later 🙂
Amallia @DesireToEat says
wow, this would be perfect salad for tonight 🙂
Marla says
Sounds fabulous. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. I pinned & twitted.
Melissa Falk says
Cynthia, this is my kind of salad. I love the different textures. Also, this is exactly the type of house made vinaigrette I enjoy making.
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Dear Cynthia, I was taken out for a belated birthday dinner last Sunday night at The Holy Grail Restaurant in Epping, NH, a former catholic church. I had a similar Pear and Gorgonzola Salad. Absolutely delicious, but yours is prettier by far. I love using beautiful things everyday. For me it’s my grandmother’s early 1900’s silver. More often than not I eat cereal with a silver spoon…:) It just tastes better…
Danae @ Recipe Runner says
What a beautiful salad! I love pears, gorgonzola and pecans together and that pear vinaigrette sounds amazing!
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom says
This salad sounds amazing – loving the candied pecans!
melissa @ treats with a twist says
I always forget about pears until…FALL HITS and then I want pears in everything! Love this salad!!
Taylor Kiser says
This is a beautiful salad! Definitely need this for lunch soon!
Christina | Christina's Cucina says
One of my all time favorite salads! Love the combination of flavors! Love the photos, too!
Cynthia says
Thank you! I wish I could capture that magic every time I shoot!
Mimi says
A really lovely salad! Perfect for this time of year as well, although I haven’t seen pears yet… Beautiful photos.
Katie says
I love this recipe!!! I included it in a roundup of April produce, if you’d like to check it out & share it! 🙂 I love your blog!
https://sweetvegtable.com/april-produce-16-fresh-vegetarian-recipes/
Have a great day! Katie
Cynthia says
awesome! Thanks so much! I’m headed over right now!
Jab says
Wow! Awesome salad! Very impressive for brunch. Several people asked for the recipe. Who knew candied pecans are so easy? Will never purchase again.
Cynthia says
Oh, good! I’m so glad!
Kushigalu says
LOve the combination of ingredients in this salad recipe. refreshing and delicious.
Kristen says
This salad was phenomenal. I absolutely loved the candied pecans with the blue cheese!
Meldrum Jacqueline says
oh yes please! that looks lush. Yum!
Sara Welch says
This was such a light yet hearty salad that does not disappoint! Perfect balance of flavors and textures; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Whitney says
The pear and the dressing go so well together. I also love arugula, it’s my go to salad over anything. The sweetness of the dressing and bitterness of arugula really works well together.
Frances Whittle says
Wow! Thanks so much! I used to buy the bagged Pear and Gorgonzola Salad @ Publix, but it’s getting harder to find. I am so glad I ran across this recipe! I signed up for your emails. I am really impressed! I even went to Amazon and ordered the pear balsamic vinegar!
Cynthia says
Wow! Thanks so much! I appreciate your comments!
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a great salad to make for lunch meal prep!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing ! Does it keep long?
Cynthia says
No, not really. If you’re planning on serving it later, I’d make the candied nuts and dressing ahead of time.
Just make what you’re eating at the time. Field greens don’t have a long shelf life once they are dressed.