Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Maple Walnuts

This Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts is a simple green salad is such an easy and tasty recipe for the holidays. With a quick and easy vinaigrette and a good amount of gorgonzola cheese, it's healthy and delicious.

It may not surprise you as a professional nutrition lady, but I've kind of got a thing for salads. 

Whether it's a Kale Tabbouleh Salad, a batch of meal prep Chickpea Mason Jar Salads, or a Spicy Mung Bean Salad, I am here for it. 

I'm not normally into a regular old green salad (so boring, ammiright?!) but at this time of year when juicy pears are in season I love making this fall favourite: the Pear and Gorgonzola Salad.

It's the perfect combination of sweet and salty, fresh and leafy, and with maple candied walnuts (they're super simple to make, trust me!) and creamy, tangy gorgonzola cheese. This recipe is easy to make, pretty to look at, and delicious to eat. 

Let's make it! 

What goes into this pear and gorgonzola salad?

• Pears! Preferably pears that are still a bit firm but not too crunchy either. Perfectly ripe is what we're going for.
• Gorgonzola cheese. Heads up! There are two times of gorgonzola, either dolce or picante. Dolce is soft and goopy and perfect for smearing on crackers or stuffing into figs. Picante is sharper tasting and more crumbly. It's picante we're using in this salad.
• Salad greens! Go with your favourite mix here. The one I used has radicchio, frisée, red leaf lettuce, and arugula.
• Walnuts! We're going to make some quick stove-top maple candied walnuts.
• Maple Syrup. For the candied walnuts.
• Butter. For the candied walnuts.
• Plus we're going to make a quick and easy vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

How do I make this salad?

Step 1: start by making the candied walnuts. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then whisk in the maple syrup.

Add the walnuts and let 'em cook, stir often, until the maple syrup has caramelized on the walnuts. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Step 2: Make your vinaigrette. I like to combine the Dijon, balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake the heck out of it and your dressing is done. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Step 3: Put your salad greens into a serving bowl. Slice the pear and distribute over the top. Crumble the Gorgonzola and scatter across the salad. Add the cooled, candied walnuts. Lastly, dress with a drizzle of vinaigrette.

That's it! Your Pear and Gorgonzola Salad is done did.

Pro tips / recipe notes:

• Can I make this salad in advance? You can make the candied walnuts and the vinaigrette in advance. I recommend waiting until the last minute to slice the pear and dress the salad.
• Is this pear and gorgonzola salad potluck friendly? Definitely! Layer everything EXCEPT the dressing into a salad bowl, and tuck a jar of vinaigrette alongside. Cover with plastic wrap, transport to the potluck, and dress the salad when you get there.
• Can I make a vegan version of this salad? We live in a glorious age where the selection of vegan cheeses gets better and better every day. See what you can find! Or, this guy has a recipe for DIY mould inoculated vegan blue cheese you could try if you were feeling adventurous. I haven't tried it, but the reviews are pretty good!
• Is this salad gluten free? You bet it is!
• Help, I can't find Gorgonzola! Try the deli counter of your supermarket or a specialty cheese store in your area. Or just use any old blue cheese you like - I won't tell anyone!

Hey Nutrition Lady, what's the deal with pears?

Glad you asked!

Pears are a member of the rose family, together with apples, apricots, cherries, peaches and plums. All of the varieties of pears most commonly available including Bartlett, Anjou, and Bosc are members of the European pear category.

VThere is a rounder, more crisp category of pears called Asian pears, sometimes also (erroneously) referred to as apple pears.

When it comes to the health benefits of pears, they pretty much rock the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory categories, with phytonutrients such as flavonols and anthocyanin (in red-skinned varietals) topping the charts.

It's worthwhile buying organic and eating pears with the skin intact, as research has shown that the skin of a pear contains roughly four times the amount of phytonutrients compared to the flesh, and about half of a pear's dietary fiber.

Pears are also a good source of copper, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

Other tasty salads you might enjoy:

Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls with Roasted Sweet Potatoes 
Vegetarian Niçoise Salad
Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Kale
Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash Salad 

This recipe was originally published October 9, 2018. It was most recently updated on November 5, 2020.