Whether it be because these nights I’ve got twenty minutes start to finish to throw dinner together or because I’ve been missing my weekly trips to the fruit market in order to sleep later, I have been seriously neglecting my leafy greens. So when I made this salad, I almost cried of happiness. I don’t know if that’s because it is just that good or if it’s because it was salad at all. All I know is that I finished my salad before Nate and that never happens. Which probably means I should apologize to that lunch guest for my furious crunching and shoveling at the dinner table.
I made something similar over a year ago that capitalized on caramelized pears and prosciutto. Combining the caramelized pears with brie is another way to introduce a salty essence to what could become sickly sweet on its own. I found the creamy texture of the cheese a welcome addition.
Caramelized Pear Salad with Walnuts and Brie
Adapted from onceuponaplate.blogspot.com, recipe adapted from Donna Hay
4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 firm pears, quartered and cored
1/3 cup walnuts
1 bag (about 5 ounces) arugula leaves, spring or field greens
About 4 to 5 ounces Brie, Camembert, or soft blue cheese, sliced
Place butter, vinegar and sugar in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pear and walnuts and cook for 4 minutes or until the pear is just soft. (I suggest placing the first 3 ingredients in the pan and heating until they have just started to caramelize. Then add the pears and walnuts. This ensures non-soggy pears, which I hate!)
Place the arugula or field greens on serving plates and top with the pear and walnuts. Spoon over the pan juices and top with the cheese. (I then did a delicate drizzle of white wine vinegar around the rim of the greens because I like a bite to my dressing.)
I have tried buying arugula before but never did cuz I wasn’t sure I’d like it. So I got over myself when I saw this recipe and bought the arugula….I now may be obsessed! This salad is so so yum! And James is SO NOT a salad eater, but he loved it!! Thanks!!
Yay! Arugula is definitely strong and a little bitter so you either love it or hate it. I think that’s why it works with this much sweeter salad. Hey, anything to get a husband to eat salad:)