Delicious Arugula, Pecan, and Pear Salad Recipe
This an elegant and easy salad recipe for any night of the week. Add a roasted chicken breast and you have a complete meal!
Servings: 2 people
Cost: $10
Equipment
- cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Microplane one fine grater, one coarse grater
- whisk
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 container arugula
- 1 bunch red-leaf lettuce
- 1 sweet pear
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 3-4 radishes
- 8 seedless blackberries
salad dressing
- 4-5 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp poppyseeds
- lemon zest for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Crispy Crackers
- 4-5 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp butter
Instructions
Arugula, Pecan and Pear Salad
- Wash and thoroughly dry the produce.
- Tear the red-leaf lettuce into pieces.
- Thinly slice the pear with a knife.
- Thinly slice the cucumber at an angle.
- Chop the pecans.
- Use the Course Microplane to shred the radishes.
- Layer the salad on the serving plates in this order: red leaf lettuce, arugula, sliced cucumbers, sliced pears, chopped pecans, shredded radishes, and blackberries. Nestle a large spoon with a serving size of the dressing in the bowl of the spoon. Nestle the parmesan cracker on the side of the salad.
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
- Slice and squeeze 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Zest the lemon.
- Mix greek yogurt with olive oil and honey.
- Stir in the lemon juice, some of the zest, poppy seeds, and salt & pepper to taste.
Parmesan Crispy Crackers
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat.
- Shred fresh Parmesan cheese with a fine-grade Microplane.
- Add a dab of butter to the pan and place approx 1 tbsp of shredded parmesan cheese in the pan.
- Allow cheese to melt and brown. Flip and allow to brown on the other side.
- Remove from pan and allow to cool.
- Parmesan must melt and brown enough so that it will be crispy when it is cooled.
Notes
Additional options for your salad:
Substitute the baby arugula with spring mix salad or other small leaf greens
Use baby romaine if red-leaf lettuce is out of season
Use whatever type of pear you like: Asian pears, bartlett pears, red Anjou
Replace the pear slices with your favorite apple slices: Honeycrisp apple, granny smith apple, and pink lady are all great choices
Add some spices to the pecans and roast them to create spicy pecans or roast them using brown sugar to create extra crunch for the salad
Here are some substitutes to stand in for the pecans if you don’t have any: walnuts, roasted pinenuts, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds
Use any kind of berries you like including sliced strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries