Adding fruit such as pears and apples to your salad can add lots of extra flavor and texture. This elegant Apple, Pear & Goat Cheese Salad highlights Taylor’s Gold pears, accented by a creamy goat cheese sauce and a sweet apple walnut vinaigrette. Tip: Prepare all of the components ahead of time and assemble just before serving.
Keep reading for the recipe.
APPLE, PEAR & GOAT CHEESE SALAD
Recipe from Taylor’s Gold Pears
Serves 4
APPLE WALNUT VINAIGRETTE
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 small shallots
- 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon walnut oil
Finely mince garlic and shallots in a food processor or blender. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
APPLE & PEAR SALAD
- 2 tablespoons goat cheese, blue or Roquefort cheese
- 2 tablespoons silken tofu, blended (may substitute nonfat sour cream)
- 6 cups mixed greens*
- 1 JAZZ apple, cored and cut into 1/8” x 1” pieces
- 1 small red onion, julienned
- 1 recipe Apple-Walnut Vinaigrette (see above)
- 1 firm, ripe Taylor’s Gold pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped and toasted (optional)
Make vinaigrette. Blend tofu and toast almonds, if using. Rinse, dry and tear greens; julienne onion; core and cut apple and pear; chop almonds, if using.
Mix goat cheese and blended tofu (or sour cream) until smooth and creamy. Just before serving, toss greens, apple pieces and onion with vinaigrette, reserving a small amount to drizzle over the finished salad.
Divide greens among 4 salad plates. Arrange pear slices on top with a dollop of teh cheese mixture. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette, top with almonds and serve immediately.
*Note: Here are two possibilities for the greens: 5 cups mixed greens (such as red leaf or butter lettuce, spinach or arugula) and 1 cup radicchio leaves; or 4 cups mesclun greens mixed with 2 cups torn red leaf lettuce.
