I love salad. I will have salad with almost every meal and Thanksgiving is no exception. Yes the sides are the main attraction. But I believe there’s always room for a really good salad. This Fall Harvest Pear and Goat Cheese Salad has been my go-to lately. It has all the best things about fall and a sweet and herby dressing to top it all off. And if you’re not a fan of salad on thanksgiving, this makes for a delicious lunch! Also great with grilled chicken.
I overbought too many brussels sprout over the weekend, which I love roasting, but on this particular day, I was craving a salad. My go-to is a combination of arugula, kale and/or romaine, but all I had was arugula and brussels sprouts. You could also buy burssels sprouts already shaved, but if you have a mandolin slicer or just a good knife, it only takes a few minutes!
Salad Ingredients
- Shaved brussels sprouts & arugula
- Toasted hazelnuts
- Dried sweetened cranberries
- Crumbled goat cheese
- Diced Pears (Bosc or Red)
Dressing Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Dijon Mustard
- Fresh basil & parsley
- Olive oil
This salad is full texture and delicious fall flavors. I love simple salads with bold flavor and everything pairs so well together. The base of the salad is thinly shaved brussels sprouts and pepper-y arugula. The pears are sweet and crisp, there’s toasted hazelnuts for crunch. Tangy-sweet cranberries and goat cheese are a perfect match.
I like to make dressings using an immersion blender or food processor, but you can definitely use a jar with a tight fitting lid to shake everything up. This salad also works well with pecans or walnuts. You could also swap the goat cheese for feta, but goat cheese is best in my opinion! I love the sharp flavor.
I don’t think of salad when I think of thanksgiving, but I always crave something green and fresh to balance out a buttery rich plate of sides and this is the perfect one! And great for something like the day after, just throw in some chopped leftover turkey and it’s a meal.
Fall Harvest Pear and Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups shaved brussels srpouts
- 3 cups arugula
- ¼ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 2 pears (diced) red or bosc
- ⅓ cup chopped hazelnuts toasted
- ⅓ cup goat cheese
Balsamic dressing
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 4-6 basil leaves
- a handful of parsley
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor, add all the dressing ingredients except the oil, s&p. Pulse to combine. Continue pulsing, while streaming in the oil. Finish with salt and pepper. Dress your salad immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week. Alternately, finely chop the garlic and herbs and add all the ingredients to jar with a tight fitting lid and mix well.
- Add the shaved brussels sprouts, arugula, pears & cranberries to a large bowl. Gently mix to blend together. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and toss to combine. Finish with crumbled goat cheese and hazelnuts. Enjoy!
