Roasted Pear Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans

Name: Roasted Pear Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon honey; 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon minced shallot; Half of a 5 ounce package of Baby Arugula (enough for 2 salads); 2-4 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1 oz- 2 oz per salad); 2 tablespoons glazed pecans *I found the Emerald brand at the grocery store and these are now my favorite salad topping.; 2 ripe Bosc pears (cut in half and seeds and stems removed); salt and pepper & a tiny bit of olive oil; Optional: drizzle of honey for garnish

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This Roasted Pear Salad with Goat Cheese and Pecans is melt in your mouth amazing! The warm roasted pears melt the goat cheese into a delicious flavor combination & the honey vinaigrette ties it all together. This is a must make Fall Salad!

Roasted pear salad in white bowl with honey vinaigrette in jar.

The flavors in this salad are over the top with a combination of goat cheese, sweet pecans, roasted pears, and the honey vinaigrette will totally surprise you and leave you begging for more! It is a great Fall Salad to make when pears are in season.

If you love goat cheese, be sure to try my Goat Cheese Crostini.

Why You'll Love This Salad:

It's fresh and uses seasonal ingredients
The honey vinaigrette is sweet, tangy and only takes a few minutes to make
This Fall Salad is packed with so much flavor
It's a quick and easy salad that will impress anyone who eats it

For more Salad recipes, try my Arugula Pear Salad, Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad, and Kale Pomegranate Salad.

The Ingredients in this Roasted Pear Salad:

Ingredients for roasted pear salad on countertop.

Roasted Pears- Sweet, soft and flavorful. Pears are in season during the end of Summer and into the Fall months.

Goat Cheese- The perfect tangy cheese that melts when it meets the warm pears.

Arugula- Filled with vitamins and the base for this salad. Arugula is known for it's peppery taste, and I like using baby arugula for its milder flavor and really tender leaves.

Sweet Candied Pecans- For a sweet crunch.

Homemade Honey Vinaigrette Dressing- Light and slightly acidic to create the best flavor combination.

*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

Substitutions and Variations:

If you don't like goat cheese, you could substitute it with feta cheese or gorgonzola.

Can't find baby Arugula? Use regular arugula or baby spinach.

My creamy balsamic dressing would be delicious on this salad, if you would rather have that instead of honey vinaigrette.

How to Make Roasted Pear Salad:

Watch the full recipe video and be sure to Subscribe on YouTube. It's free and I share new recipes to get you inspired every week!

Here are the Step by Step Instructions for this Pear and Goat Cheese Salad.

Honey vinaigrette dressing in mason jar.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the Honey Vinaigrette Dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and shallot. Give it a good shake or whisk and place in the fridge.

Pears cut in half with seeds and stems removed.

Step 2: Cut the pears in half, remove seeds and stems.

Step 3: Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap the pears in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Once they are finished, allow them to cool on the stove top for about 10 to 15 minutes. We want the pears to be warm to the touch, but not hot enough to wilt our arugula.

Step 4: Toss the arugula with half of the honey vinaigrette dressing and put into two serving bowls.

Roasted pear salad with arugula, pecans, and goat cheese.

Step 5: Add the goat cheese, then place the warm pears on top of the salad. Sprinkle the pecans over the salad and drizzle a bit of honey over the pears for added sweetness.

Step 6: Serve immediately with the leftover dressing on the side and enjoy!

Expert Tips:

You want to serve this salad about 10 to 15 minutes after the pears come out of the oven, so that they are just warm enough to melt the goat cheese and are still warm when served.

For more Fall lunch recipes, try my Pastina Soup, Air fryer Turkey Burgers, and Southwest Chicken Salad.

Recipe FAQs:

What are the best pears for baking?

Bosc and Anjou pears are known to be best for baking for the delicious flavor and maintaining their shape at higher temps in the oven.

Can I remove the skin from pears in salad?

Absolutely! I would bake them with the skin on first, then allow them to cool a bit and remove.

How to Store the Leftover Salad?

This salad definitely tastes best fresh, but you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you are meal prepping this, store the dressing, pears and salad all separate for the best results.

More Salad Recipes You Will Love:

Arugula Pear Salad
★★★★★
Kale Pomegranate Salad
★★★★★
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad (Greek Cucumber Salad)
★★★★★
Summer Peach Burrata Salad
★★★★★

If you tried this Roasted Pear and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!

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