Pear & Blue Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- Servings: 1
- SALAD:
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1/4 Bosc pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate arils
- 1 tablespoon blue cheese crumbles (I used Salemville Amish Blue Cheese crumbles – highly recommend!)
- DRESSING:
- 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Add the pomegranate juice, balsamic, garlic, honey, and thyme into a small saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half; about 15 minutes. Strain into a bowl and set aside.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of the reduction with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon dijon mustard in a small jar or tupperware container with a lid. Seal tightly and shake until all ingredients are combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Plate the greens, then top with the sliced pear, pomegranate arils, sliced almonds, and blue cheese crumbles. Drizzle the dressing over top with a spoon.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
Oh you fancy huh?
It may sound a little gourmet, but this salad is easy to make at home. It’ll impress anyone you serve it to – including yourself. The recipe below serves one, but I recommend multiplying it and serving it at a dinner party or, if opportunity knocks, as part of a home-cooked date night meal. It has a romantic feel to it, probably because ingredients like blue cheese, Bosc pear, pomegranate, and balsamic are often thought of as fancy and elegant.
Vibes aside, this salad covers a wide spectrum of flavors in each bite and has vibrant color. You’ve got bitter, savory, sweet, salty, nutty, tangy, and acidic all on one plate. The dressing begins by making a pomegranate-balsamic reduction, of which you’ll be left with extra – a liquid gold concoction you can later drizzle on steak, grilled chicken, or roasted vegetables. What’s not to love?