Red Pears and Gorgonzola?!
Red pears and Gorgonzola cheese are a match in flavor heaven. Don’t believe me? I don’t love funky cheese, yet if it pairs with the right ingredient(s) then it finds it’s place into my foodie heart. I’ve come to appreciate it.
The funky cheese with the sweetness from the fruit is really nice. You get crunchy texture from the walnuts and the fresh mint helps cleanse the palate.
This red pear and Gorgonzola salad is great because it is simple and easy to make. I love this salad because If you are busy with work or the kids, this red pear and Gorgonzola salad comes together in less than 5 minutes!
Salad for Breakfast?
I’m not a huge fan of eggs and sometimes I don’t really want the sugary syrup options on the other side of most breakfast menus. I guess that’s why I always favor brunch.
Then I thought, well why not make a salad for breakfast? Fruit salad, bitter green salad, chicken salad, crab salad…I mean any salad for breakfast is fabulous.
Smoothies are awesome but sometimes I am looking for something palatable with a variety of textures. This salad came to me when I was at work.
My pizza cook was coming up with a special. He had tons of Gorgonzola to use up and we were bouncing ideas off each other for creative inspiration.
It was then after talking about Gorgonzola cheese I realized I had all those beautiful red pears on my counter and that new big bag of walnuts I bought on sale.
On my way home I grabbed some fresh mint and Gorgonzola cheese. Never had I been more excited about breakfast.
A New Favorite
The next morning I got up early before my toddler was up to throw this together. Great idea but she was up right away. Somehow kids just know!
After finding the pears and cutting up one for my daughter, I started to gather my salad ingredients. While she was at play I sliced up my pears.
When pulling out the Gorgonzola I noticed my red grapes on the shelf and decided why not? I’m always a fan of more texture and flavor when it’s appropriate.
After my grapes were cut, I measured out my Gorgonzola and walnuts. My mint was gathered and cut into fine strips.
While I was going to wait to try my salad I just couldn’t help it. The eagerness to see how the flavors melded was just to much to bear.
It was SO much better than expected; simple and quick! Then I decided to whip up my honey lemon dressing as that would be the perfect compliment to put this salad over the top.
The dressing was indeed just the final touch this red pear and Gorgonzola salad needed.
Red Pear Salad
This salad is perfect any time of day yet it's a go to breakfast in my house. Well balanced and highlighting the fruit of winter, the sweetness of the pears and grapes go so well with the pungent Gorgonzola cheese. Walnuts for crunch and mint to clear the palate, this red pear salad keeps you coming back for another bite.
Ingredients
- 1 Ripe Red Pear
- 8 - 10 Red Grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup Gorgonzola Cheese
- 1/4 cup Walnuts, in pieces
- Fresh Mint (4 to 6 leaves), cut finely
Instructions
- Step one
Wash the pear and remove stem. Leaving skin on, use a sharp knife cut pear in half lengthwise. Remove the center seeds. Thinly slice each of the halves until you have several pear slices.
Step two
Wash and cut the grapes in halves. Place sliced pears onto a plate or bowl and toss in the halved grapes. Scatter the walnut pieces and Gorgonzola cheese over the fruit. Garnish with finely chopped mint.
- Eat and enjoy as is, or dress the salad with Honey Lemon Dressing (
Notes
I love to use the dressing for the extra acidity from the lemon and depth from the honey goes great with the cheese. The Honey Lemon Dressing also helps prevent the pears from turning brown, although this salad doesn't tend to last long!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 8gSugar: 26gProtein: 13g
Nutrition information are estimates only and may not be accurate.
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