• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Wine Lover's Kitchen
  • About
  • Father's Day
  • Recipes
  • Wine
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Father's Day
  • Recipes
  • Wine
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Father's Day
    • Recipes
    • Wine
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Wine Recommendations

    Roasted Pear and Pecan Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

    Published: Dec 26, 2019 · Modified: Jun 19, 2020 by Carolyn Hetke · This post may contain affiliate links,

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Roasted Pear and Pecan Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing is a delicious winter salad worthy of family or company. And the dressing is so good you can use it as a dip!

    The dressing is so good that I also use it as a dip. The blue cheese is very mild so it won't overpower people that are 'iffy' about blue cheese. It also goes great with carrots and celery à la Buffalo dip concept.

    Ceramic bowl filled with creamy blue cheese dip and a carrot stick being dipped

    The touch of maple syrup in the dressing is not really noticeable as maple flavour but it adds a hint of sweetness that complements the roasted pear.

    The original recipe from the Food & Drink Holiday 2018 magazine called for radicchio heads to be drizzled with olive oil and roasted along with the pears. I tried that but I am not a fan of radicchio prepared in any fashion. So... if you like radicchio consider that as a variation. I just found the bitterness of the radicchio made the pecans seem bitter and just didn't work.

    So.. on to peppery arugula!

    The recipe calls for Cambozola which is the German version of Gorgonzola but it is creamier and milder. Cambozola has been patented and was literally designed to be Camembert + Gorgonzola. I actually used Bresse Blue that is a French version of almost a blue brie.

    I like the fact that the blue cheese flavour profile is not overpowering here.

    Some freshly grated Parmesan garnish adds a bit of interest. I think dried cranberries as garnish would also be a great addition instead of the Parmesan. And... especially at holiday time you have a festive salad!

    Roasted pears actually make this salad fairly substantial. Add a chicken breast or a bit of steak and you would have a great lunch or light dinner.

    Roasted Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing and Pecan Garnish

    Roasted Pear and Pecan Salad with Cambozola Dressing

    Author: Carolyn Hetke

    If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!

    5 from 1 vote
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    SaveSaved!
    Print Pin Facebook
    Course: Appetizer, Sides
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
    Total Time: 40 minutes mins
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    Pear and Pecan Salad

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 pears halved and cored
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ cup pecan halves
    • 6 cups arugula
    • fresh parmesan for garnish optional
    • optional- garnish with dried cranberries instead of Parmesan

    Cambozola Dressing

    • 4 oz Cambozola or other mild, soft blue cheese such as Bresse Bleu or Gorgonzola
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • ¾ cup sour cream see Note 1 for variation
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the pear halves out, cut side up. Drizzle the olive oil over the pears and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Leave room on the baking sheet for the pecans.
    • Roast pears for about 15 minutes, add the pecans in a single layer and roast another 10 minutes. Pears should just be starting to get soft. Remove from oven and allow pears and pecans to come to room temperature.
    • Coarsely chop the nuts.
    • Mix all the dressing ingredients in a blend and blend till smooth. Dressing will be quite thick.
    • To serve, arrange 1 cup of arugula on each of 6 plates. Top with 1 pear half and ⅙ of the pecans. Spoon out a few teaspoons of dressing onto the plate. Top with fresh grated parmesan if using.

    Notes

    Note 1:  You can substitute full fat yogurt for the sour cream and fresh lemon juice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thewineloverski or tag #thewineloverski!

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I am Carolyn - the Wine Lover in the Wine Lover's Kitchen! I absolutely love having friends and family around my table with great food and wine to enjoy. If you want great recipes and wine recommendations you have come to the right place!

    Learn more about me →

    Father's Day Recipes

    • French Brie Burger
    • Juicy burgers filled with melted cheese, caramelized onion and bacon, on a bun on a summery plate with dill pickle slices.
      Beer Can Stuffed Burgers
    • bourbon-bacon-burger
      Double Bourbon Bacon Burgers
    • Quartered quesadillas on a plate with avocado on the side
      Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

    Popular Recipes

    • Close up of creamy Cafe de Paris sauce.
      Café de Paris Sauce - The Original 'Secret Sauce'
    • Puffy, crispy flour tortilla flavoured with olive oil and chili, lime seasoning.
      Air Fryer Tortillas
    • Golden brown spinach feta scones on a plate.
      Savoury Spinach and Feta Scones
    • Piece of Italian crumb cake with pistachio cream filling, topped with crushed pistachios and icing sugar.
      Pistachio Cream Crumb Cake
    • Medium rare beef tenderloin sliced on a platter.
      Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin
    • Baked sweetened condensed milk buns piled in a basket.
      Bread Machine Sweetened Condensed Milk Dinner Rolls

    Footer

    ↑ Back to top

    Home

    Recipes Wine

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About

    Newsletter

    Tired of wandering around looking at wine labels? Get recipes and my Best Buy wine picks every two weeks!

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Contact

    Follow me on:

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • X -Former Twitter

    Copyright © 2025 The Wine Lover's Kitchen

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.