A simple, tasty pear salad recipe, with arugula, red onion, walnuts and two cheeses —creamy goat and blue cheese. This is a perfect arugula salad for everyday or having friends over.

A bowl of arugula salad with sliced pears, walnuts, crumbled cheese, red onions, and microgreens is served next to a small dish of creamy dressing on a light surface.

I’m always searching for simple but elevated salad recipes like this one, and this arugula salad fits that description to a “T”. Because I think a pear salad recipe should not only have crisp sweet pears in it, I went ahead and added two different kinds of cheese (blue and goat).

Also, there’s toasted walnuts and a smattering of thinly sliced red onion. This unbeatable combination of nuts, soft cheese and sweet fruit is a component of my favorite radicchio salad.

A wooden bowl of arugula salad with greens, sliced pears, red onions, crumbled cheese, walnuts, and microgreens sits beside a small bowl of dressing and a plate holding onion halves, extra pear slices, and more greens.

Arugula salad dressing

The mix of nutty arugula greens, walnuts, salty cheese and sweet pears needs a dressing that mimics those very flavors.

The dressing that ties this whole beauty together is a light and tangy-sweet vinaigrette, blended with lemon, white wine vinegar (I choose rice vinegar because it has lower acidity) and a dash of honey.

Cheeses to use in the salad

Pears and cheese are a classic combination, and for good reason. Italians love a classic pairing of pears with cheese. Compared to other fruits like apples and peaches, pears have subtle acidity and a distinctive texture.

Those two qualities help the fruit balance beautifully with all kinds of cheese, especially young, soft goat cheese and creamy blue cheese.

  • Choose a soft, unripened goat cheese (the kind that comes in a log) and a creamy, cow’s milk blue cheese. Sweet Gorgonzola or Danish-style blue are both good blue cheeses to use.
  • Not a fan of goat OR blue cheese? A good Parmesan or sheep’s milk cheese like aged Pecorino would be delicious!
Photo of a green pear on a cutting board, with wedges of blue cheese and goat cheese.

My salad pear recommendations

  • Bartlett: This variety is an all-around good choice for salads, snacking and even desserts. Bartlett pears are tinged with yellow when ripe and ready to eat. These pears are juicy, sweet and have a good amount of acidity to balance the sugar.
  • D’Anjou (or Anjou): This pear looks a bit like Bartlett, plump and green. It has a pleasantly crisp texture which makes it a perfect pear for salads and also roasting.
  • Comice: My absolute favorite pear to eat raw with cheese, and also what I used for this salad. Comice pears are green, blushed beautifully with red spots. They have soft, creamy flesh and are exquisitely sweet and juicy when ripe.
  • Bosc: This pear variety is hard to confuse with the others. Bosc pears have a bronze-amber colored skin, and an elegant, tall shape. I find their flavor on the spicy side, but they can have a less than juicy texture.
A bowl of salad with arugula, sliced pears, red onion, walnuts, and crumbled cheese, next to a small dish of dressing and a plate with sliced pear and red onion.
4.99 from 121 ratings

Arugula Salad with Pears, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Karen Tedesco
A simple and beautiful arugula salad everyone will love — a tasty arugula salad with pears, toasted walnuts, two kinds of cheese (blue and soft goat) and red onion all tossed in a light, lemony, honey dressing.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons chopped shallot, about 1
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Salad

  • 5 ounces prewashed arugula greens
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 green or red pear, cored and sliced into 1/4" half-moons
  • ⅓ cup toasted walnuts*
  • 2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup mixed microsprouts, optional
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Equipment

Instructions
 

To make the dressing:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or mini food processor until very smooth. Note: The dressing can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Keep it refrigerated in a sealed container.

To make the salad

  1. Put the greens in a large bowl or on a platter. Top with the remaining ingredients.
  2. Drizzle with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve the salad with additional dressing to taste on the side.

Notes

  • Toss the salad just before serving so the greens don’t become soggy.
  • If you’re not making the salad right away, sprinkle the slices with lemon juice to help stop them from browning. Brown pears will still taste fine, but they don’t look as pretty on your salad.
  • To toast walnuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake 10-12 minutes, until the nuts are light golden brown.
  • I like to blend this dressing in a mini food processor because it emulsifies into a creamy texture. If you don’t have one (or a blender) whisk the ingredients in a bowl, adding the oil last in a steady stream while you whisk. Or simply combine the ingredients in a lidded jar and shake vigorously.
  • Choose pears that feels firm, but with a slight give at the top near the stem. This means the fruit is at a good stage of ripeness, not too soft (and overripe) or too hard.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 353kcal Carbohydrates: 21g Protein: 9g Fat: 27g Sodium: 553mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 15g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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