This roasted pear salad (with a lemon vinaigrette) checks all the boxes for a quick, impressive side salad. Roasting the pears brings out their natural sweetness, adding warmth to every bite, and when paired with tangy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and tart cranberries, it’s just the right mix of textures and flavors. The zesty lemon vinaigrette brightens everything up, making this a perfect side for cozy dinners or special gatherings.
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💭 The Roasted Pear Salad You’ll Want Year-Round!
This roasted pear salad is all about balancing flavors and textures in the easiest way possible. It’s simple to make but brings something memorable to the table, every time.
- Sweet and savory flavors. The sweetness of pears is balanced by the tangy goat cheese, tart cranberries, and zesty lemon dressing.
- Perfect side dish for Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings.
- Packed with nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins fresh greens, pears, and nuts.
Love easy but fancy-looking salads? Try my roasted beet salad with goat cheese, roasted vegetable salad, or kale harvest salad.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this roasted pear salad, you’ll need spring mix, pears, cranberries, pecans, goat cheese, and shallots. To make the lemon vinaigrette, you’ll need lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper.
Variations & Substitutions
- Pears. Use ripe and firm pears like Anjou pear or Bosc pear. They hold their shape well and are great for roasting.
- Spring mix. Buy spring mix from the store or use a combination of lettuce, baby spinach, and arugula.
- Maple syrup. You can substitute it with honey or even brown sugar.
- Cranberries. Dried cranberries work best but you can also use fresh cranberries or pomegranate seeds.
- Pecans. Walnuts or candied almonds are great swaps.
- Goat cheese. Feta cheese, gorgonzola, or blue cheese will also work great.
- Lemon vinaigrette. You can also pair this salad with white wine vinaigrette or champagne vinaigrette.
Make vegan salad
Skip goat cheese to make this salad vegan. Make sure that the Dijon mustard you use for the dressing is labeled vegan as well.
📖 How to make pear salad with lemon vinaigrette
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2:
Cut the pears into ¼ inch slices and place in a medium or large bowl. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup onto the pears and toss to coat.
Step 3:
Place the pear slices onto the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 12 minutes.
Step 4:
Meanwhile, make the dressing by adding all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined.
Step 5:
Allow the pears to slightly cool before assembling the salad. Enjoy!
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Slice pears into even ¼-inch slices to roast them perfectly without getting mushy.
- Coat pears lightly with maple syrup to enhance their flavor without making them sticky.
- Let roasted pears cool for 5 minutes before adding them to avoid wilting the greens.
- Crumble goat cheese with a fork for easy sprinkling and even distribution.
- Warm glazed pecans in a skillet for extra crunch and to enhance their sweetness.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Yes! Feta or blue cheese make great substitutes for goat cheese, adding similar creaminess and tang.
Anjou, Bosc, or Bartlett pears work well, as long as they’re firm to hold their shape after roasting.
Yes! Prep the pears and dressing in advance. Wait to assemble and dress the salad until right before serving for the freshest texture.
Add the dressing right before serving, and don’t overdress. Just a light coating is all you need.
Definitely! The salad tastes great at room temperature. Just roast the pears a bit earlier and let them cool before adding.
🍴 How to serve roasted pear salad
This vibrant salad is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other fall and winter gatherings. Serve it while the leafy greens are fresh, and the pears are warm for a delicious bite. Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad right before serving.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for one day. The leafy greens wilt quickly, so it’s best to eat this salad immediately! You can also prepare the ingredients in advance and store them in separate containers.
🍴 More Fall salad recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other fall salad recipes:
Easy Green Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Easy Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Roasted Pear Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 3 pears, firm
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 6 cups spring mix
- ½ shallot, sliced
- ⅓ cup goat cheese
- ½ cup glazed pecans
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Dressing Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut the pears into ¼ inch slices and place in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and maple syrup onto the pears and mix to coat.
- Place the pear slices onto the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing by adding all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Allow the pears to slightly cool before assembling the salad.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use firm pears (don’t use fully ripe pears) to avoid mushiness.
- Bake the pears right before mealtime so they are still warm and delicious when eating!
- Toast pecans briefly for added crunch.
- Slice shallots thinly for mild flavor.
- Substitute goat cheese with feta or blue cheese if preferred
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
