Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Homemade Pear Dressing
Here’s a simple yet amazing spinach salad side dish for the summer!
This salad features fresh pears, pecans, dried cherries, creamy goat cheese, and a homemade pear vinaigrette drizzled over fresh spinach. If you are a salad enthusiast like me, pear spinach salad checks every box for flavor, texture, and crunch!
I have never regretted taking a little extra time to make a satisfying salad and this one is worth it! This is perfect for entertaining or something delicious to take to a BBQ.
The result is a salad that is both gorgeous to look at, and is as equally delicious to eat! It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and the goat cheese adds a unique creamy texture that you’re gonna love.
Tips for making the best pear spinach salad:
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- If fresh spinach isn’t your favorite, definitely consider adding in some of your favorite greens and lettuces such as romaine and arugula. Using a mix of both would be delicious!
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- As far as salad add-ins, I love pecans and dried cherries, but you could always use walnuts, almonds, or dried cranberries. The goat cheese is so delicious in this salad, though I think crumbled blue cheese would be nice too.
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- Start by tossing the salad with about 3/4 of the salad dressing, and then add from there. It’s easy to add more of the dressing in based on your preference.
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- When picking fresh pears, use your favorite variety, but make sure they are ripe to ensure maximum sweetness. I used a mix of Bosc and Anjou pears.
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- Make-ahead tip: You can compile this salad ahead of time and keep the dressing separate in a jar with a lid. Then right before serving, shake up the dressing and toss it with the salad.
Pear Spinach Salad
yield: 6 SERVINGS
prep time: 20 MINUTES
total time: 20 MINUTES
Here's an elegant salad featuring thinly sliced pears, spinach, goat cheese, and pecans. The pear dressing is easy to whip up in the blender!
Ingredients
For the salad dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 pear, peeled & chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt & pinch of pepper
For the salad:
- 8 oz. fresh spinach
- 2 pears, thinly sliced
- 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pecans pieces
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Directions
1
Add salad dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour it into a small jar and set it aside.
2
Toss together all the salad ingredients in a large bowl with 3/4 of the dressing. Then add a little more in as desired.
3
Serve salad immediately. Enjoy!
You’ll love this “fancy” restaurant-worthy pear spinach salad! 😋
It really tastes as if it came from a fancy cafe. Making homemade salad dressing is super easy to do and I love that you can adjust anything according to taste. You could also make this salad a full meal by adding some grilled chicken or other protein. Yum!
Check out what my teammate Jenna had to say about my pear spinach salad:
“This was so easy to throw together and the goat cheese made it so creamy and delicious. I think my favorite flavor combo in the world is goat cheese and cherries, and this recipe takes it to a whole new level! The fresh pear in the dressing and sliced in the salad is genius. The pecans + goat cheese + cherries + the dressing are such a great combination of flavors. I love them all mixed into the fresh spinach, and will absolutely make this again!”
Take this brightly flavored pasta taco salad to your next potluck!
I love different salad recipes. This sounds fabulous! Looking forward to trying it. Thank you!
Me too!
Oh good! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
This looks delicious! And I have some chive-infused apple cider vinegar I’ve been needing to use up. Thank you for the inspiration!
Oh that sounds perfect! Thanks Kathleen 💕