Description
A festive winter salad featuring crisp pears, apples, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans, topped with elegant goat cheese snowflakes and a tangy maple-balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe but firm pears, thinly sliced
- 1 large apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
- 4 cups mixed winter greens (e.g., kale, arugula, radicchio)
- 4 oz goat cheese, chilled
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to make the vinaigrette. Set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, combine mixed winter greens, sliced pears, sliced apples, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
- Using a small spoon or cheese shaper, form goat cheese into small snowflake-like shapes and arrange them on top of the salad.
- Serve immediately, garnished with an extra sprinkle of cranberries and pecans if desired.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Method: Side
- Cuisine: American