Sweet pears on a bed of greens with a tangy citrus dressing is the perfect salad for fall. Serve this Autumn Pear Salad on your holiday table.
Every year I happily volunteer to bring the salad when we celebrate holidays with family.
This super simple yet delicious Pear Salad with a Citrus Dressing is a winner on any dinner table.
This is the perfect side salad for any holiday – Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
This easy-to-make salad is perfect for a fall dinner or lunch when pears are ripe for the picking.
We eat a lot of pears in my house when they are in season.
What kind of pears should I use for this salad
My favorite varieties are Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou pears. I don’t discriminate between the green or red varieties.
As long as they are fresh pears that have sat on the counter long enough to become juicy pears.
Pears are sweet and mellow and are just as delicious raw as they are baked or roasted.
Another favorite pear recipe of mine is my Pear Tart with Goat Cheese, Rosemary & Honey.
It makes a wonderful holiday dessert.
Be sure to leave those pears on the counter to ripen. A few days is all you need for delicious and juicy results.
When you’re ready to make your salad simply fill a large bowl with greens, add sliced pears, toasted almonds and creamy goat cheese and drizzle with the homemade orange and honey vinaigrette.
The orange and lemon flavors in the dressing mix beautifully with the pears and goat cheese.
It’s the right combination of sweet and tangy.
And what’s not to love about a homemade tangy citrus dressing.
It always tastes better than anything you can buy on the grocery store shelf.
How often do you volunteer to bring a salad to a special occasion or dinner party with neighbors?
This has become one of my go-to salads to make when I contribute to the main meal.
I’ve been asked for this recipe so many times that I decided to share it here.
What types of greens should I use for this salad?
A variety of leafy greens work best in this fresh salad. Choose from peppery arugula, baby spinach leaves, spring mix or baby lettuces. Or use a combination of all three.
Most grocery stores sell prewashed mixed varieties ready to go.
What other toppings can I use in this salad
Get creative with your salad ingredients. If you are not a fan of pears, use crisp apples instead. Choose salty blue cheese or feta cheese instead of goat cheese. Candied pecans or crunchy walnuts are a delicious and crunchy replacement for almonds.
Main dishes to serve with this pear salad recipe
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Easy Autumn Pear Salad Recipe with a Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing ingredients
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice, from one orange
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad ingredients
- 2 large ripe pears, cored and sliced
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Place the shallots, mustard, orange and lemon juices, honey, salt, pepper and olive oil in a mason jar or large measuring cup.
- Use an immersion blender to mix the ingredients well.
- Next, combine the rest of the salad ingredients including the lettuces, pears, almonds and goat cheese in a bowl.
- Serve with the dressing.
- Store any remaining dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you make a recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #homeandplate. I’d love to see what you cook!
This is my kind of salad! Love that homemade dressing and that you’ve used two different citrus juices for it! Delicious!
The fresh citrus adds so much flavor you can reduce how much oil you need. So tasty. Thanks Lisa.
I always forget how delicious pears taste in salads!
this looks so so good! I love pears in salads so much
Apples are also favorites of mine in salads. Thanks.
This salad looks amazing!
This looks delicious! I love pears in salads. The dressing sounds so tasty too! I prefer to make homemade dressing too; it’s just tastier than store-bought. 🙂
Thanks Marie…I agree. Homemade dressing so tastier and healthier too. 🙂
This salad has all of my favorite flavors in a single dish!
Mine too…it’s perfect on any holiday table. Happy Holidays 🙂