A pear salad recipe is a quick way to use seasonal pears and other mix-ins of choice. Add salty, earthy, and crunchy ingredients to complement the sweet pears.


Pear Salad Recipe: How to Make Pear Salad

Pear salad is a dish made with mixed greens, fresh [pears](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pick-pears-and-cook-with-pear-varieties), and various toppings that you toss in a vinaigrette. Serve pear salad as a side dish or add a protein like chicken, pork, or shrimp to make it a main course salad. Sweet pears you can find at the grocery store—such as Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett pears—work in pear salad.

Pears are full of nutrients like vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and vitamin C. While they are the main star of the salad, adding in other ingredients balances and complements the juicy, sweet fruit. Try adding these ingredients to your pear salad:

1. __Cheese crumbles__: The salty taste of blue cheese, gorgonzola cheese, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, or [feta cheese](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-serve-and-store-feta-cheese) pair well with the sweet crunch of the sliced pears. Choose a cheese based on personal taste and other ingredients in the salad to create a cohesive dish.
2. __Leafy greens__: For the salad base, use romaine, [arugula](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-arugula-plus-easy-arugula-pesto-recipe), or mixed salad greens. Some greens, like arugula and kale, are earthy and slightly bitter; this flavor profile pairs particularly well with the sweet fruit. 
3. __Toasted nuts__: Candied pecans, candied walnuts, toasted cashews, or diced hazelnuts add crunch and a deep nutty flavor to a pear salad. Pears and nuts are a classic food combination because of their contrasting but complementary flavors and textures. 

A pear salad recipe is a quick way to use seasonal pears and other mix-ins of choice. Add salty, earthy, and crunchy ingredients to complement the sweet pears.


Pear salad is a dish made with mixed greens, fresh <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pick-pears-and-cook-with-pear-varieties' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pick-pears-and-cook-with-pear-varieties","linkCopy":"pears","category":null}'>pears</a>, and various toppings that you toss in a vinaigrette. Serve pear salad as a side dish or add a protein like chicken, pork, or shrimp to make it a main course salad. Sweet pears you can find at the grocery store—such as Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett pears—work in pear salad.

What Is Pear Salad?

Pears are full of nutrients like vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and vitamin C. While they are the main star of the salad, adding in other ingredients balances and complements the juicy, sweet fruit. Try adding these ingredients to your pear salad:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Cheese crumbles: The salty taste of blue cheese, gorgonzola cheese, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-serve-and-store-feta-cheese' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-serve-and-store-feta-cheese","linkCopy":"feta cheese","category":null}'>feta cheese</a> pair well with the sweet crunch of the sliced pears. Choose a cheese based on personal taste and other ingredients in the salad to create a cohesive dish. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Leafy greens: For the salad base, use romaine, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-arugula-plus-easy-arugula-pesto-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-arugula-plus-easy-arugula-pesto-recipe","linkCopy":"arugula","category":null}'>arugula</a>, or mixed salad greens. Some greens, like arugula and kale, are earthy and slightly bitter; this flavor profile pairs particularly well with the sweet fruit. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Toasted nuts: Candied pecans, candied walnuts, toasted cashews, or diced hazelnuts add crunch and a deep nutty flavor to a pear salad. Pears and nuts are a classic food combination because of their contrasting but complementary flavors and textures. </li></ol>

3 Mix-Ins for Pear Salad

Pear Salad Recipe

A pear salad recipe is a quick way to use seasonal pears and other mix-ins of choice. Add salty, earthy, and crunchy ingredients to complement the sweet pears.