Pear and Baby Kale Salad is a refreshing and healthy salad recipe for winter entertaining, packed with pears, blue cheese, dried cranberries, and pecans. This easy winter salad is dressed with Simple Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
This recipe is sponsored by Heinen’s. I truly appreciate the support that makes Yoko’s kitchen possible.
If you’re looking for fun recipes for Thanksgiving and Holiday season, also try Stuffed Fig Bites, High Protein Roasted Delicata Squash Soup, and Pumpkin Pudding!
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Ingredients
For the Salad
- Baby kale – baby kale is a nutritious dark leafy green packed with vitamins and minerals offering nutrition similar to that of mature kale. But because of its young age, baby kale has a more tender texture and less bitter flavor, making it perfect for a fresh salad! If you’re not a big fan of the kale, you can substitute it with baby spinach or spring mix.
- Shallot – adds garlicky flavor without overpowering.
- Fresh Pear – Use any pears that are in season. My favorite is crisp and juicy Bosc pears! Remove the core and thinly slice.
- Dried Cranberries – dried cranberries bring an instant holiday vibe to any dish! Unfortunately, many dried cranberry products have added sugar, which is not my favorite. If you want to avoid them, use the one sweetened with juice instead of sugar. My favorite is one from Made in Nature.
- Pecans – Roast them before use for the tasty nutty flavor.
- Blue Cheese Crumbles – adds creamy richness and a salty kick to the salad. You can use feta instead if you don’t like blue cheese.
For the Simple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Maple Syrup
- Dijon Mustard
- Sea Salt and Black pepper
Instructions
First, let’s start with preparing the produce. Thinly slice shallots and pears. Thin slices of pears mix well with tender baby kale leaves.
Next, toast the pecans to make them extra nutty and flavorful. Heat skillet over medium heat. In a dry pan, add pecans and toast them until golden and fragrant, for 1 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and let them cool completely before adding to the salad.
Then make the Simple Apple Cider Vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl toss kale, shallot, and ⅓ of the vinaigrette. Transfer to a serving plate.
Arrange the pear, dried cranberries, pecans, and blue cheese on the bed of greens. Drizzle more dressing as needed.
Variations
The beauty of this salad is that it is fully customizable to your liking! Here are some swap ideas you can try.
- Apples – Instead of pears, you can use crisp and juicy apples.
- Pomegranates – To make this salad even more festive, sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top.
- Red Onion – Instead of shallots, use sliced red onion! Note that red onions are a bit spicier and less sweet than shallots. But they add a nice flavor kick to the salad.
- Nuts and Seeds – The crunch is an important factor in this salad! Instead of pecans, you can use walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts. If you want to make this recipe nut-free, use pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
More Healthy Kale Salad Ideas
- Summer Peach Kale Salad with Avocado and Cherries
- Kale and Quinoa Winter Salad with Pears and Pomegranate
Related
Looking for other salad recipes like this? Try these:
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Pear and Baby Kale Salad with Blue Cheese, Pecans, and Cranberries
Ingredients
For the salad
- 5 oz baby kale about 9 cups
- 2 shallot sliced
- 1 pear cored and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pecans
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
For the Simple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans until golden and fragrant, for 1 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together the ingredients of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large bowl toss kale, shallot, and ⅓ of the dressing. Transfer to a serving bowl. Arrange the pear, dried cranberries, pecans, and blue cheese on top. Drizzle more dressing as needed.
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