Pear Gorgonzola Salad

I may be picky when it comes to salads, but give me juicy fruit, punchy blue cheese, toasted nuts and a dressing with plenty of character and suddenly I am interested.  Fresh pears, Gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and mixed greens tossed with a sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

You don’t see a lot of salads here on Ang Sarap. It is not because I don’t like them, but because I am quite picky when it comes to salad. If I am going to eat a bowl full of leaves, there better be plenty of flavour going on. A few lettuce leaves with tomatoes and a bland dressing will never excite me.

Perhaps part of that comes from growing up Filipino. Salads in the Western sense were never really an essential part of our everyday meals. Most Filipino meals are built around rice and ulam, and the ulam already provides everything you need. You might have some sliced tomatoes, salted eggs, atchara or ensalada on the side, but having a separate leafy salad alongside dinner was never something I grew up with.

So whenever you see a salad recipe appear on this blog, you can probably assume that it passed my test. It needs contrasting flavours, interesting textures and a dressing that actually contributes something.

This Pear Gorgonzola Salad definitely does.

Pear and Gorgonzola, A Combination That Just Works

Pear and blue cheese are one of those classic combinations where opposing flavours somehow make each other better. Pears bring sweetness, juiciness and freshness, while Gorgonzola contributes saltiness, creaminess and that distinctive blue cheese sharpness.

Put them together and neither ingredient tastes quite as intense as it does alone.

The sweetness of the pear softens the pungency of the cheese, while the Gorgonzola prevents the fruit from making the salad taste overly sweet. Add slightly bitter rocket, mild baby spinach and other mixed leaves, and suddenly there is a lot happening in every forkful.

This is exactly what I want from a salad.

The Italian Connection

The combination of pears and cheese has deep roots in Italian food culture. There is even an old Italian saying, “Al contadino non far sapere quanto è buono il formaggio con le pere“, essentially referring to just how delicious cheese is when eaten with pears.

Gorgonzola itself is one of Italy’s great cheeses. Traditionally associated with northern Italy, particularly Lombardy and Piedmont, it is made from cow’s milk and developed with blue-green veins that give it its characteristic flavour.

Depending on the variety, Gorgonzola can range from relatively mild and creamy to sharp and assertive. For this salad, I like something creamy enough to crumble but still strong enough that you know it is there.

You don’t need much. About 100 grams is enough for four servings because every little piece carries plenty of flavour.

Why Walnuts Belong Here

Then come the walnuts, and I would not leave them out.

Toasting them for just a few minutes changes them considerably. Their natural oils become more aromatic, their flavour gets nuttier, and their crunch creates a welcome contrast against the juicy pears and creamy cheese.

That combination of fruit, nuts and cheese is hardly new, but there is a reason it continues to appear in salads. Each ingredient provides a completely different texture.

One bite might give you crisp leaves and juicy pear. The next has creamy Gorgonzola and crunchy walnut. That variation keeps the salad interesting until the last forkful.

Bringing Everything Together With Balsamic Vinaigrette

A salad like this needs acidity, and balsamic vinegar is perfect for the job.

The vinaigrette combines extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar with Dijon mustard, honey and a little fresh garlic. The mustard helps bring the oil and vinegar together while adding its own subtle sharpness, and honey rounds off the acidity without turning the dressing noticeably sweet.

More importantly, balsamic vinegar works beautifully with both pears and Gorgonzola. Its sweet acidity echoes the fruit while cutting through the richness of the cheese.

The important thing is not to drown the salad in dressing. You only need enough to lightly coat the leaves. Once everything is tossed together, the pears and Gorgonzola contribute their own moisture and flavour.

Choosing the Right Pears

The pears need a little attention because ripeness makes a big difference here.

You want pears that are sweet and juicy but still firm. If they are underripe, they lack flavour. If they are too ripe, they become soft and can fall apart when you toss the salad.

Bosc, Beurré Bosc and Packham pears all work well. I also prefer leaving the skin on. Apart from saving preparation time, the skin provides extra colour and a little more texture.

Combined with colourful baby leaves such as red chard, spinach and rocket, the finished salad looks just as good as it tastes.

A Salad Worth Making Again

I paired this with a meal where I wanted something fresh on the side, and this is exactly the type of salad that works for me. It does not feel like eating vegetables simply because you think you should. Every ingredient has a purpose.

You get sweetness from the pears, salty creaminess from the Gorgonzola, crunch from toasted walnuts, freshness and slight bitterness from the leaves, then acidity and sweetness from the balsamic vinaigrette.

For someone who does not post many salads, this is exactly why this one deserves a place here.

It is simple, takes around 20 minutes to prepare and needs no complicated technique. Most importantly, it has flavour. Lots of it.

And if all salads tasted like this, perhaps you would see a lot more of them on Ang Sarap.

Pear Gorgonzola Salad

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• Author: Raymund
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 4 1x
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Fresh pears, Gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and mixed greens tossed with a sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

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Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Salad

• 150 g mixed salad leaves, preferably baby spinach, rocket, red chard and baby lettuce
• 2 ripe but firm pears, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 100 g Gorgonzola cheese, roughly crumbled
• 80 g walnuts, roughly chopped

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Place the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan and leave to cool completely.
2. To make the balsamic vinaigrette, combine the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk vigorously until emulsified, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Place the mixed salad leaves in a large serving bowl. Add the pears and about three quarters of the toasted walnuts, then gently toss to combine.
4. Drizzle enough balsamic vinaigrette over the salad to lightly coat the leaves. Toss gently, taking care not to bruise or break the pears.
5. Scatter the crumbled Gorgonzola and remaining toasted walnuts over the salad.
6. Serve immediately with any remaining balsamic vinaigrette on the side.

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Notes

• Choose pears that are ripe enough to be naturally sweet but still firm enough to retain their shape. Bosc, Beurré Bosc and Packham pears are particularly good choices.
• Leave the pear skin on for extra texture and colour. A mixture of colourful baby leaves also makes the salad more interesting than using a single type of lettuce.