Elegant Red Wine Poached Pear Salad
A sweet red wine poached pear salad offers a blend of tangy goat cheese, spiced fruit, and candied walnuts. Serves four.
Ingredients
- Pears: 2 ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears (peeled, halved, cored), 2 cups sweet red wine, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 strips of orange zest, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cloves, salt.
- Walnuts: 1 cup walnut halves, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp water, salt.
- Salad: 6 cups mixed greens, 4 oz crumbled goat cheese, 1/4 thin-sliced red onion, 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
- Dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp cooled poaching liquid, salt, pepper.
Instructions
- Simmer red wine, water, sugar, spices, zest, and vanilla. Add pears; simmer covered 15 to 25 minutes until tender. Reserve 1 tablespoon liquid and cool pears.
- Cook walnuts, brown sugar, butter, water, and salt in a skillet 3 to 5 minutes. Cool on parchment and chop.
- Whisk dressing ingredients.
- Toss greens and onion with dressing; divide onto plates.
- Slice pears, fan over greens, and top with cheese, walnuts, and cranberries. Drizzle with extra dressing and serve.