Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Pomegranate Ginger Vinaigrette

It’s fall and I’m in the mood for fall fruits and flavors but I still love a big green salad.  This one, with it’s sweet cinnamon-flavored walnuts, fresh sweet pears and a bit of ginger zing in the dressing, is a delicious explosion of tastes.

• Mixed Greens, your choice
• Red Onion
• Ripe Pears
• Dried Cherries
• Walnuts, 1/2 cup
• Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoons
• Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
• Olive Oil, 1/2 cup
• Pomegranate Juice, 1/3 cup
• White Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 cup
• Ginger, 1 tablespoon minced or grated
• Sugar, 1 teaspoon
• Salt/Pepper

Toss the walnuts with the cinnamon and brown sugar.  Add an egg white if you like, to help the sugar mixture stick to the nuts.  I skipped it this time.

Spread the nuts on a shallow pan and toast them in a 375 degree oven for about 1o minutes, until they begin to brown.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, pomegranate juice and vinegar.

Mince the ginger and add it to the mix.

Add just a bit of sugar and season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Slice the pears.  The apple corer makes it easy to get started but the slices are still pretty thick.  Cut them again if you want them smaller.

Toss the lettuce, red onion rings and dried cherries into a large bowl.

Sprinkle with a good handful of walnuts.  Whisk the dressing again and pour it over the salad.  You’ll have both walnuts and dressing left over.

Toss it all together and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Tagged as: balsamic, ginger, olive oil, pear, pomegranate, red onion, salad, walnut