Arugula Pear Salad
This Arugula Pear Salad is easy, elegant and worthy of any occasion! It’s a delicious blend of peppery arugula, juicy pear, creamy blue cheese and toasted pecans, and it’s tossed in a light, refreshing champagne vinaigrette!
I always look forward to the fall when sweet, juicy pears are at their peak. While I love utilizing them in my pear pie and pear crumble recipes, most of the time they end up in my salads. 🙂
My pear salad with feta and cranberries has been a family favorite since the first time I made it, and my endive salad bites are one of my favorite holiday appetizers.
This Arugula Pear Salad is my latest creation. The peppery arugula works so well with the sweet pears, tangy blue cheese and toasted pecans! It’s tossed in a light, refreshing champagne vinaigrette to take it completely over the top.
I love that this salad is easy enough for busy weeknights or lunches, and elegant enough to serve for dinner parties and holidays.
This is a fall salad that everyone will be excited about! 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This pear and arugula salad is a delicious blend of peppery arugula, juicy pears, creamy blue cheese, toasted pecans, and a light, refreshing champagne vinaigrette.
- It’s as easy as it is elegant, and takes just minutes to assemble.
- The dressing and pecans may be prepped up to a few days in advance to make salad assembly even easier.
- It’s easy to customize with your favorite ingredients or dressing.
Recipe ingredients
- Arugula. The peppery flavor of arugula pairs beautifully with the sweet, juicy pears and creamy blue cheese. I truly wouldn’t recommend substituting it with any other greens, but if you must, I would choose baby spinach, spring mix lettuce or baby kale.
- Pears. Use ripe yet firm pears as they will be nice and sweet and still hold their shape. I’ve used Bartlett pears, but Bosc or Anjou pears work great as well.
- Blue cheese.There are a few varieties of blue cheese, and each has its own unique flavor: Roquefort is the most intense, with a sharp, tangy bite; Stilton is rich and creamy with a strong flavor similar to roquefort; Gorgonzola is milder and creamier with a less pungent flavor; Danish blue has a very creamy texture, its less salty and has the mildest flavor. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, sub it with feta, manchego or goat cheese.
- Pecans. Sub the pecans with walnuts or almonds if desired.
- Dressing. I love this salad with my champagne vinaigrette, but it would be equally delicious with honey mustard dressing or apple cider vinegar dressing. You can also use your favorite store bought variety.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make pear salad with blue cheese
This pear blue cheese salad is incredibly easy to make, and makes a show stopping addition to any meal.
There is minimal prep involved, and it takes just minutes to assemble.
Pro tip: Prepare the dressing and toast the pecans in advance to go make salad assembly go even more quickly!
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Prepare the champagne vinaigrette. This can be done up to a few days in advance.
- Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
- Slice the pears and gather your ingredients.
- Assemble the salad on a platter or a large bowl and toss with the dressing or drizzle it over the top.
Recipe FAQs
Anjou, Bartlett and Bosch pears are all wonderful options. Anjou and Bartlett pears are juicier and sweeter, while Bosch pears are firmer and hold their shape well.
Whichever variety you choose, be sure that the pears are ripe yet firm to prevent them from becoming mushy in your salad.
There are (4) main varieties of blue cheese to choose from, including Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton, and Danish Blue, and each has its own unique flavor.
Gorgonzola and Danish Blue are milder and creamier, while Roquefort and Stilton have a stronger, more pungent flavor.
If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, simply substitute it with your favorite cheese. I love feta, manchego or goat cheese.
You can also opt to omit the cheese altogether to make this salad dairy-free.
For best results, don’t assemble this arugula pear salad until just before serving as it will wilt down quickly.
That said, you can definitely prep the dressing and toast the pecans in advance to make salad assembly go even more quickly.
Serving suggestions
This pear arugula salad is extremely versatile, so you can decide how to serve it! Below are some of my favorites.
- Serve for lunch or dinner topped with your favorite protein source such as air fryer chicken breast, air fryer shrimp, or oven baked pork chops. Add quinoa or white beans for a vegetarian option.
- This salad makes a great side dish for busy weeknights! It pairs perfectly with sheet pan chicken thighs or air fryer hamburgers.
- It’s great for Sunday dinner served alongside pork loin roast or roasted chicken.
- It’s a stunning addition to your holiday table served with dry brined roast turkey or slow cooker ham.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prepare the dressing and toast the pecans in advance to go make salad assembly go even more quickly!
- For best results, serve this pear and arugula salad immediately as it will wilt quickly.
- If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, sub it with feta, manchego or goat cheese.
- Nutritional information does not include the dressing as that information has been calculated in a separate post.
More salad recipes you’ll love
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Arugula Pear Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces sub with walnuts or almonds
- 5 ounces arugula
- 1 large pear or 2 small pears; sliced thinly or chopped
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese see note 2
- champagne vinaigrette for serving; sub with your favorite dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, then toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn very quickly. Set aside to cool.1/2 cup pecan pieces
- Place the arugula, pears, blue cheese and pecans in a large bowl and toss with enough champagne vinaigrette to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!5 ounces arugula, 1 large pear, 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, champagne vinaigrette
Notes
- Pro tip: Prepare the dressing and toast the pecans in advance to go make salad assembly go even more quickly!
- For best results, serve this pear and arugula salad immediately as it will wilt quickly.
- If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, sub it with feta, manchego or goat cheese.
- Nutritional information does not include the dressing as that information has been calculated in a separate post.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
