Grilled Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Port Vinaigrette
This salad alone will turn you meal into an occasion! It is fantastic around the holidays when there might just be a bottle of Port open! No Port on hand? The notes tell you how to substitute with red wine.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 514kcal
Salad
- 1 cup walnuts whole or large pieces
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 3 pears
- cooking spray
- 8 cups mixed greens
- 6 oz blue cheese
Dressing
- 1 cup Ruby Port See notes for red wine substitution
- 1 shallot minced
- ½ cup walnut oil can sub olive oil
- 1 ½ Tbsps red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Preheat broiler. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Peel and core pears. Slice lengthwise and arrange slices in one layer on the baking pan. You should get at least 8 slices of pear per pear. Spray the pears with cooking spray.
Broil until pears turn golden brown on both sides. This may take 4-5 minutes per side. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
Put walnuts in a non-stick frying pan. Heat walnuts over medium high heat, stirring often. Remove from heat when they start turning browner and you can smell them.
Spread prosciutto on a microwaveable plate in one layer. Microwave until the slices are crisp and brittle. This takes about 4 minutes but check them often since microwave strengths vary. Allow slices to cool and them crumble them.
Bring port and shallots to a boil over medium high heat in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until port is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Strain the port and allow to cool. Discard shallots. Whisk remaining dressing ingredients together just before serving.
Toss greens, prosciutto, walnuts and blue cheese together. Divide evenly among
6 plates. Divide pear slices evenly and mound them in the center of the salad plate. Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving.
Ingredient Substitutions
The Port wine and the walnut oil are what make this vinaigrette so distinctive but if you looking for a sturdy vinaigrette you can:
Substitute a red wine such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz for the Port. Add light brown sugar, a ¼ teaspoon at a time, until the sharper wine flavour is tamed by the sugar.
You can substitute olive oil or hazelnut oil for the walnut oil.
Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 689mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g