Asiago Arugula Pear Salad | Ambitious Kitchen

November 17, 2024

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I think you could use a really easy, REALLY delicious salad for your holiday table this year. Don’t you? Good. Because today’s brand new recipe literally checks all of the boxes when it comes to making a wonderful salad: it’s made with simple ingredients, is bursting with in sweet, savory, salty flavors, and every bite has a variety of textures.

Say hello to my fresh arugula pear salad loaded with asiago cheese, toasted almonds, creamy avocado, and a lovely white balsamic vinaigrette to tie it all together. I actually got the inspo for this salad from one of my favorite lunch spots in Chicago, Beatrix. Their “Straight ‘A’ Salad” is SO good that we even featured it in our Best Salads in Chicago a couple of years back! It’s absolutely perfect for the holidays with the seasonal pears and makes a wonderful lunch with your go-to protein.

Watch me make the salad on this episode of Good Mood Comfort Food, and add some green to your holiday menu this year with a beautiful salad that everyone will LOVE. Promise, there won’t be leftovers.

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Everything you’ll need to make this arugula pear salad

This gorgeous green salad is SO easy to make with plenty of fresh ingredients:

Arugula: the base of the salad is, of course, baby arugula! I always describe the flavor of arugula as “zippy” because it’s a little bit bitter and peppery, which makes it the perfect base to pair with other sweet and salty elements.
Pears: you’ll slice up some juicy Asian pears to toss right in the salad. I prefer Asian pears because they’re a bit more crisp and firm, while still being sweet and juicy.
Nuts: add a little crunch with toasted slivered or sliced almonds. Learn how to toast nuts below!
Cheese: I recommend using a firm, salty cheese like asiago or manchego to balance the sweetness of the pairs.
Avocado: we’re also adding sliced (or diced) avocado for savory creaminess.
Basil: I love the extra bites of freshness that basil adds.
For the dressing: the super light vinaigrette is made with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, a little pure maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s such a versatile dressing to keep in your back pocket for tons of different salads!

Customize your arugula salad

The best part about a simple, yet flavorful salad? It’s easy to make your own! Here are some swaps I can recommend as needed:

For the arugula: if you’re not a fan of arugula as your green base, feel free to use spinach.
For the pears: sliced apples would also be delicious in here.
For the almonds: feel free to omit the nuts to keep this salad nut-free, or swap them for toasted walnuts or pecans if you have them on hand.
For the cheese: as I mentioned, I love the extra salty element that asiago and manchego add, but you could also use parmesan cheese, feta, or, for a little tang, goat cheese. Bleu cheese or gorgonzola would add an even bigger punch of flavor. Leave the cheese out if you’d like to keep the salad dairy-free.

Add a boost of protein

This easy arugula pear salad actually packs about 9g of protein per serving, but you can absolutely add protein from a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas, or cooked, chopped chicken breast. My Honey Mustard Chicken would be perfect with this salad.

Can I add grains?

Sure! Another great way to bulk up this salad a bit more is to add a cup of cooked farro or pearled couscous (my fav).

How to toast almonds for this salad

I LOVE toasting nuts for salads to give them even more depth of flavor. There are two easy ways to toast your sliced or slivered almonds:

Stovetop method: Add your almonds to a pan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2-5 minutes until the nuts are slightly golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool before adding them to the salad.
Oven method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant and golden brown, stirring once halfway through baking. Watch carefully so that the nuts do not burn!

How to serve a crowd

If you’re serving this salad to a crowd for the holidays, here’s how I’d recommend doing so:

Add the arugula and pear to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing.
Transfer that to a large serving platter, then add all of the toppings.
Drizzle the rest of the dressing OR leave it out so that guests can drizzle on as much as they’d like.

Storing tips

This salad is best enjoyed immediately so that the arugula, pears, and avocado don’t get soggy. If you know the salad won’t all get eaten, I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the fridge without the dressing and avocado for up to 4-5 days. Simply dress the salad and add the avocado as soon as you’re ready to eat it so it doesn’t get soggy. The dressing will stay good in a container in the fridge for up to one week.

More fall salads you’ll love

Get all of my salad recipes here, and my Thanksgiving recipes here!

I hope you love this gorgeous arugula pear salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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