Pear Salad with Sugared Walnuts

(from Renee’s recipe box)

Source: Family Circle (from RecipeThing user mayflowerkids)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves 6 people

Categories: salad

Ingredients

  • Salad
  • 2 cups walnut halves
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 5 ounce arugula
  • 1 small head butter or Bibb lettuce, cored, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
  • 2 ripe pears, halved, cored and sliced
  • 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • Dressing
  • 3 tablespoons raspberry-flavored or traditional balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey-Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Salad

  2. Combine nuts, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until almost all the liquid has cooked off, stirring constantly for the last 2 minutes. Pour nuts onto a foil-lined sheet and spread out. Let cool.

  3. In large bowl, combine arugula, butter lettuce, pears, cranberries and blue cheese. Set aside.

  4. Dressing

  5. In a medium-size bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream. Gently toss salad with half of the dressing; serve remainder on the side. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the nuts and sprinkle over salad. Reserve extra nuts for snacking or another meal.

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