Crisp Pear and Candied Walnut Salad

A festive salad perfect for the holidays, combining crunchy textures with sweet, salty, and fresh flavors. Ideal for Christmas Day and easily presented as a decorative wreath.

By @lizthedietitian

Original recipe source

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 parchment paper to line the tray
• 1 cup walnuts for candied walnuts
• 0.25 cup brown sugar
• 20 g butter
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0 salt a pinch
• 2 pears large, firm, crunchy
• 0 lemon juice
• 120 g salad leaves mix of rocket, baby spinach, and oak lettuce
• 0 pomegranate seeds
• 120 g goat cheese marinated in oil or Danish feta
• 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add baking paper to a tray and set aside.
2. Add walnuts, brown sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a frypan. Heat on medium and stir often to dissolve the sugar and coat the nuts for 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove nuts from the frypan and immediately spread them out on the prepared tray to separate and cool.
4. Thinly slice pears and squeeze some lemon juice over them to prevent browning.
5. Add salad leaves to your serving bowl.
6. Add sliced pears, pomegranate seeds, candied walnuts, and marinated goat cheese or Danish feta to the salad leaves.
7. Make Dijon dressing by combining all ingredients in a jar and shaking until well combined. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
8. Dress salad to your liking just before serving. Toss to combine.