Mixed Greens With Caramelized Pears and Walnuts

"An elegant salad."
 
Download
photo by Seasoned Cook photo by Seasoned Cook
photo by Seasoned Cook
photo by Seasoned Cook photo by Seasoned Cook
Ready In:
45mins
Ingredients:
15
Serves:
8
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • On a baking sheet, lightly toast nuts; remove from oven and let cool.
  • Peel and core the pears, then cut into 1/2" dice.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  • Add the diced pears and sugar; saute, stirring frequently, until the pears start to caramelize a bit, then add the white wine and continue cooking until the pears are just glazed.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.
  • In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the rice vinegar, wine vinegar, walnut or olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper; set aside.
  • Toss the greens with the dressing and distribute among eight individual serving plates.
  • Spoon the caramelized pears and walnuts around the outside of the greens.
  • Place the warm Goat Cheese Croutons on the center of the greens and serve immediately.
  • Goat cheese croutons: Cut the goat cheese into eight 1/2-inch slices.
  • (Tip: Use dental floss to slice the cheese logs cleanly.) Cut the thawed phyllo into long, thin strips (chiffonade).
  • NOTE: A pasta machine cutter works well and makes uniform sizes.
  • Wrap each goat cheese round in a nest of phyllo strips (they should look alot like shredded wheat).
  • Place them on lightly oiled baking sheet; set aside.
  • (NOTE: the croutons may be refrigerated, covered, at this point for 1 hour).
  • When ready to use, preheat broiler.
  • Brush the phyllo/goat cheese rounds with olive oil.
  • Place under broiler in oven until lightly browned; turn them over and brown the other side.
  • Remove from oven and transfer to the individual salads with a spatula.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. DELICIOUS! I could eat this salad every day and never tire of it! The flavor of pears and walnuts go so well together. I used seassoned croutons which I had on hand. This would be a great salad to serve guests. Thanks Paula for sharing this one! Prepared as a participant in the Sept 2009 Aus/NZ Swap #32 Event.
     
  2. Wanted to add a note to my 1st review - made this salad again last night and used the pyllo dough this time for the croutons - wonderful - not hard to make and looked very impressive. Will definitely do it this way from now on. This is super salad - try it!
     
  3. EXCELLENT salad! It made about twice as much dressing as needed, but that was great since I used it for other salads. I used pecans and walnut oil.
     
Advertisement

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I came to this site in March of 2004. It was then called Recipezaar. This site was the first on-line site that I ever joined. I first popped in 2003 while searching for a Peach Cobbler Recipe. In March of 2004, DH was having shoulder surgery and I was looking for a Split Pea Soup. Once again I found myself on Zaar as it came to be called. Over the years I hung out and learned from some of the best home cooks in the country, I posted over 700 recipes on the site, reviewed over 3500 recipes and posted over 3000 food photos. Over the next 10 years the site made many changes and in 2010 it was sold to to Food Network and became Food.com. Until last year we played games, talked and shared with one another. As a result of the community and the relationships I built I got to meet some wonderful people from all over the country. I also have a great number of friends that I have never meet face to face. Some of us still hang out at various places across the net. Zaar was more than a cooking community. It was an internet community of friendship. Life is an adventure ever changing.
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes