Arugula and Pear Bowl (Printer-friendly)

Peppery arugula meets sweet pears, creamy cheese, and crunchy walnuts in this refreshing bowl. Ready in 15 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Greens

01 - 4 cups fresh arugula

→ Fruit

02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced

→ Cheese

03 - 2 oz crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese

→ Nuts

04 - 0.5 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

→ Dressing

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon honey
08 - 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
02 - Place arugula in a large salad bowl. Add sliced pears, crumbled cheese, and toasted nuts.
03 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Gently toss to combine and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely quick—no cooking required, just slicing and tossing, which means you can pull it together even on the busiest days.
  • The flavors balance perfectly: peppery arugula meets sweet pears, creamy cheese cuts through with tang, nuts add that satisfying crunch that makes eating feel intentional.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad too early—even ten minutes and the arugula wilts down to almost nothing, which defeats the whole textural point.
  • If you're making this ahead for guests, keep everything separate and assemble right before they sit down; the ingredients will thank you for it.
03 -
  • Slice your pears as close to eating time as possible; they oxidize and brown quickly, so if you're doing this more than a few minutes ahead, toss them gently in a little lemon juice to keep them bright.
  • Toast your own nuts if time allows—it takes barely five minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat and tastes infinitely fresher than pre-toasted nuts that have been sitting in packaging.
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