This Arugula Salad with Pear, Walnuts and Gorgonzola Ranch Dressing is inspired by our favorite unusual pizza topping—pears!
The re-creation of a pizza that I had years ago at California Pizza Kitchen has been a favorite for years. The sweetness of the pear offset by the tanginess of the gorgonzola and the earthiness of the shallots. And the topping of the arugula and toasted nuts was unlike anything I had ever had before. Mmmmm.
I'm generally not one to opt for taking the pizza out of the equation, but this just seemed to make so much sense as a salad. And while I would probably always make the pizza given the option (I mean, duh), this salad is oh-so-delicious.
It's so oddly satisfying and just gorgeous.
In an attempt to make it slightly healthier, I whipped up a quick greek yogurt ranch dressing to toss the arugula in that is seriously OUT of this world.
There's just a bit of prep required to saute the pears and the shallots. And then to toast the walnuts up. But that's it!
A super fancy-looking salad that only takes 10 minutes of work!
We ate this as a side to steaks on a warm night, but you could add grilled chicken or steak right on top to make it a full meal on it's own.
(Or put it back on that pizza... hah!)
Arugula Salad with Pear, Walnuts and Gorgonzola Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups arugula
- 1 pear sliced thinly
- 1 shallot sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons gorgonzola
- salt & pepper
Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Ranch seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix together the Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing ingredients. If too thick, add a drop of almond milk at a time until the right consistency. It should be drizzle-able, but still have body.
- In a small saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat to medium and add in the sliced shallots. Sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper, then saute for 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and just starting to brown. Remove from pan.
- Add in another tablespoon of olive oil and bring the pan up to medium-high heat. Toss the sliced pears into the pan and let them soften for just a minute or two. If they get a little browned, even better! Remove from the pan.
- Wipe the pan dry. Heat to medium and toss the walnuts in the pan. Toast them for about 4 minutes just until they start to brown. (Keep an eye on these babies—they like to go from raw to burnt quickly!)
- Toss the arugula in the ranch dressing, then layer on the pears, shallots and walnuts. Sprinkle on a generous spoonful of gorgonzola and dig in!
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