Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula, Walnuts & Gorgonzola | Walder Wellness (2024)

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Servings: 6

5 from 9 votes

• 1 cup farro, dry (how to cook farro)
• 4 pears (Bosc, Bartlett, or Anjou)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (to toss pears)
• 6 cups baby arugula (rocket)
• 1 cup walnuts, raw
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola, crumbled
• Salt + pepper, to taste

Balsamic vinaigrette dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp garlic powder (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
• Salt + pepper, to taste

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook farro. I have a post all about how to cook farro on the stovetop, if you need some tips!

• Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Leaving the skin on, slice pears into 8 even pieces, removing the core, seeds, and stem. Place on the baking sheet, then toss in 1 Tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

• Spread pears out evenly on the baking sheet, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until pears are lightly browned and tender enough to slide a fork through them easily. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

• While the pears roast, make the balsamic dressing by adding all dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid. Shake together vigorously to mix. Alternatively, you could whisk the dressing together in a bowl.

• To a large salad bowl, add arugula, cooked farro, baked pears, walnuts, and gorgonzola. Pour dressing overtop and toss to combine, seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve + enjoy!

*SERVINGS: This recipe as written will serve about 4-6 people as a side salad.

*A NOTE ON PEARS: Make sure your pears are not too ripe, or else they will become too soft and soggy after baking. Use pears that are harder than you would eat them raw!

*MAKE IN ADVANCE: If you’d like to make this salad in advance, you can do the following the day or morning before:

• Bake the pears, then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge.
• Cook the farro and store it in a separate airtight container in the fridge
• Make the balsamic dressing and keep it in a separate jar in the fridge.
• When you’re ready to serve the salad, you can combine the cooked pears and farro with the remainder of the ingredients, then toss everything in the balsamic dressing. This will help to prevent things from getting soggy!

*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS:

• You can do this with raw pears if you’d prefer a faster recipe! Be sure to use riper pears than you would if you were to bake them.
• Arugula can be swapped for another leafy green like baby spinach, baby kale, or a spring mix. You could even try this with heartier kale – just be sure to give it a bit of a massage first!
• Instead of walnuts, you could use pecans. If you don’t eat nuts, you could swap them for pumpkin seeds or omit entirely.
• Farro can be swapped for quinoa, millet, or barley. If you’re gluten-free, be sure to choose a gluten-free grain (farro is not GF!)
• If you don’t like gorgonzola or other blue cheeses, you can use shaved parmesan instead. It would likely also taste good with crumbled goat or feta cheese.
• For a dairy-free option, you can try using a dairy-free alternative to one of those cheeses listed above.
• For a vegan option, use a dairy-free alternative to blue cheese and swap the honey in the dressing for maple syrup.

Nutrition

As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.

Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: arugula, balsamic dressing, farro, gorgonzola, pears

Author: Carrie Walder