Who says salads have to be boring? This spinach salad with pears, pecans and goat cheese is easy to make and delicious!
This spinach pear salad isn't exactly new or ground-breaking, but it's really delicious.
Even back when I didn't really enjoying eating salads, I would happily eat this one. The combination of sweet baby spinach, crunchy toasted pecans and juicy pears works together so well, you might even be able to convert the salad haters in your life!
🍐 Ingredients
This recipe is simple, but packs a ton of flavour. Here's what I used in my salad.
- Baby Spinach
- Pears
- Pecans
- Goat Cheese
For the dressing, I wanted a balance of sweet and tangy flavours. To achieve that, I went with a balsamic and Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Feel free to use your favourite homemade or store-bought vinaigrette instead, though.
🥬 Substitutions
While baby spinach works best in this recipe, you can also make it with flat-leaf (also known as smooth leaf) spinach. This is a sweet type of spinach that is best served raw, and it's usually what you'll find in bags at the grocery store.
I would avoid using savoy spinach (the crinkly ones), as those can be bitter and benefit from being cooked.
For the pears, you have a few options. Bartletts, the most-common pear worldwide, have a soft juicy texture that works well in this spinach salad. If you prefer a firmer texture, a Bosc or Green Anjou pear would be good options.
You can substitute walnuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for the pecans, and blue cheese or feta for the goat cheese.
🥗 Making the Salad
This salad is super easy to prepare, even if you toast your own pecans and make the vinaigrette from scratch.
If you opt to buy pre-washed baby spinach, pre-toasted nuts and a bottled vinaigrette, you're that much closer to eating!
Essentially, once you've washed your produce, all that's left to do is slice your pears, chop your pecans, and crumble your cheese. Assemble, top with your dressing, and you're ready to eat!
It's important to note that you don't have to peel the pears if you don't want to. Not only does this save time, but the skin is also a good source of fibre. Just be sure to give your pears a good wash before cutting them up.
If the skin on your pears is very tough (which is sometimes the case when you buy them out of season) you can go ahead and peel them. I had to do that when I took the photos for this recipe.
I hope you try making this salad, and if you do let me know what you think of it in the comments below!
• Recipe •
Spinach Pear Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional (helps to emulsify the dressing)
- pinch of salt and pepper
For the Salad:
- 8 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 2 large ripe pears, washed and sliced into wedges (peeling optional)
- ⅓ cup plain goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Alternatively, you can add the ingredients to a mason jar, screw the lid on tightly, and shake to combine.
For the Salad:
- Place spinach and pecans in a large bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of dressing, then use your hands to toss the salad to combine the ingredients. Add the pear slices to the salad, and toss again, gently.
- Divide the salad among serving plates, and top with goat cheese and extra dressing as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use flat-leaf (or smooth-leaf) spinach instead of baby spinach. Avoid crinkly savoy spinach, as it's best eaten cooked.
- Bartlett pears are great if you want a lot of juice and sweetness. Bosc or Green Anjou pears are better options if you want more crunch.
- Walnuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds can be used instead of pecans.
- Blue cheese or feta can be used instead of goat cheese.
Jocelyne says
Amazing! So simple but one of the best salads. You would pay good money for a salad like this in a restaurant. Delicious!
Shareba says
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
Jdomeyer says
The salad is refreshing and beautiful, especially if you add pomegranates during the holiday season. I didn’t peel the pears. For those who did peel the pears, do you thing the taste experience was improved proportionally?
Shareba says
Pomegranates sounds like a tasty addition! Thanks for sharing that 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed the salad. I remember my pear skins being bitter when I made this salad, but maybe my pears were old or it was the type I used. If you can enjoy the salad with the skin on, all the better!
Cynthia says
Excellent salad! I used white wine vinegar instead.
Shareba says
I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Leslie Rossi | alifewellconsumed says
i'd love this for my work lunch! so fresh and tasty
Shareba says
It would be great for a work lunch! Thanks for stopping by Leslie!
Isabelle @ Crumb says
I'm so glad to see you blogging for yourself again! It's so easy to get caught up with all the things that you supposedly should be doing or shouldn't be doing or should do differently... but in the end, that just means you end up with a generic blog that looks just like everyone's else's, and there's no satisfaction or joy in that.
You do you, girl. Especially if it means more delicious salads like this one!
Shareba says
It's definitely more fun this way! I don't want to resent my blog, especially after putting so much work into it. Thanks for your support Isabelle 🙂
Amanda | The Cinnamon Scrolls says
Wow, Shareba! You wrote exactly what I've been experiencing these past couple months as well! I also did the "let's spend a lot of money on this stuff and see if it can help me!" thing and the "I NEED to make part-time money from this so I'm going to burn myself completely out" thing. It took me a little time off from blogging to realise that it wasn't fun anymore, and a job that isn't fun isn't expending my time and energy into, IMHO. So I'm also doing what I want now in terms of my blog! If that means it's a hobby blog forever than so be it. I'm happy with blogging now more than ever. 🙂 I'm so glad you found some peace with your blog as well. Stay awesome, love! You're rocking it! (Also, tasty sounding salad. I shall pin for later!)
Shareba says
I think part of it is curiosity too. Like, well these people say that this course made a huge difference for them, so maybe I'll try it too... It totally makes it a chore, and not fun. I'm glad you're enjoying blogging again too 🙂 Thanks for pinning!
Colleen says
This looks so good, Shareba! I'm in love with the flavour combo of pears, cheese and nuts! Thank you for posting!
Shareba says
Thanks Colleen, it's seriously delicious!
Teresa says
This is so important - too much of the advice out there is geared toward a cookie-cutter approach to blogging. I'm glad you're re-focusing on your interests, because I really enjoy your voice. Great post!
Shareba says
Thanks Teresa, I'm hoping to get back on track in the coming weeks!
MDIVADOMESTICA says
It is great that you are following your heart and writing what is important to you. It definitely comes through in your blog. All else follows when you are doing what you love!
Shareba says
Thank you 🙂