This arugula and grilled pear salad combines the peppery flavor of arugula with the sweetness of grilled pears tossed in tangy Dijon vinaigrette dressing.
I grew up with iceberg lettuce. I only thought lettuce was iceberg lettuce. I had no idea the wondorous varieties of lettuces in this vast world. After all, mom did the grocery shopping and we ate what she bought. When schools sold salad, it was iceberg. When we went to simple restaurants, they had iceberg salads. It’s no wonder I was naive to the vast quantities of lettuces out there.
It wasn’t until my early twenties when I lived in Europe was I introduced to a plethora of lettuces: dandelion, green leaf, red leaf, romaine, arugula, kale, bibb, radicchio, frisee, and so many more. So much healthier than iceberg. Iceberg lettuce has very little nutritional value compared to these other varieties.
I’ll never forget when I had dandelion greens as a guest in someone’s home in Vienna. I thought they were poor and had to go outside and pick dandelions to make a salad. LOL. True story!
Arugula has no shortage of nutritional value either! It has the fighting properties of phytochemicals to combat cancer-causing elements. It’s a great source of Vitamins A, C and K with a rich source of minerals, iron and copper making it a great alternative to spinach!
Don’t limit yourself to using arugula in just salads. Arugula ads great flavor to sandwiches, wraps, soups, pesto, pasta and more.
Since I’ve graduated from iceberg to arugula and more, I find that I no longer eat iceberg. The dark leafy greens pack more of a punch and are so much healthier for you.
The thing I love about this salad is the grilled pears. You toss them in the dijon vinaigrette dressing and lightly grill them on each side. I learned this simple trick from a master chef. This salad pairs well with salmon or chicken.
Enjoy!
If you like this dish, you might also like these other recipes by Jen at Bakerette.com
Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
Aragula and Grilled Pear Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 pears sliced
- 6 cups Arugula
- 1 pint blueberries optional
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together shallots, oiive oil, vinegar, salt, and Dijon. Toss quartered pears in dressing, remove and grill for a couple of minutes on each side to lightly toast and soften.
- Add arugula to remaining dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad onto 4 plates, fan pears to the side of the salad, sprinkle with walnuts and/or blueberries, if desired, and serve.
Recipe inspired by MyRecipes.com
This post is linked to Keeping It Simple, Skip to my Lou, and Making the World Cuter
What a delicious looking salad! I love arugula, I think it’s one of my favorite greens, I just love that peppery flavor! It sounds perfect paired with the grilled pears!
Thanks, Maria!