Asian Pear Chopped Salad with Blue Cheese

This colourful Asian Pear Chopped Salad is bursting with crisp pears, crunchy vegetables, sweet cranberries and tangy blue cheese, all on a bed of fresh crisp lettuce. It's a family favourite, perfect for potlucks.

❤️ Why you'll love this chopped salad

First, what is a chopped salad?

• A chopped salad differs from a green salad in that the ingredients are chopped into fairly uniformly sized small pieces. In that way, every forkful gives you a little bit of everything in one bite!
• Chopped salads provide more bang for your buck than green salads. Every forkful offers more interest, variety, texture and nutrition than a simple leafy green salad.
• Crisp pears with blue cheese make a winning combination. And when you use Asian pears (also called apple pears) their naturally sweet flavour complements the sharp and tangy blue cheese perfectly.
• This cheerful Asian pear salad will brighten the gloomiest day! This salad is crisp and colourful and it can be an ideal antidote for drizzly days.

I love this Crispy Fennel Apple Chopped Salad with Walnuts and this Fennel Apple Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Spice Pecans and Chopped Chicken Taco Salad. 

But when pears are in season, this crisp and crunchy chopped salad is a favourite. I always buy extra pears so I can make this Asian Pear Slaw with Ginger and Lime as well!

🛒 Ingredients for Asian Pear Salad with Blue Cheese

Here are a few notes about the key ingredients in this recipe. You'll find a complete list with amounts in the recipe card below.

• pears: While I've made this salad using different types of pears, my favourite is the Asian pear, (sometimes known as apple pear.) They are naturally sweet and cruncy.
• blue cheese: or Gorgonzola cheese.
• dried cranberries: These offer a sweet contrast to the salty blue cheese.
• cucumber: for extra crunch
• red bell pepper: for colour and crunch
• red onion: for an extra pungent flavour. If you find these too spicy, soak them in cool water for 15 - 30 minutes, then drain the water off.
• pumpkin seeds: These add protein and are rich in antioxidants, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Substitute sunflower seeds, walnuts or pecans.
• romaine: You could substitute iceberg lettuce for romaine. It's important to use a crisp, crunchy lettuce in this chopped salad.

I usually dress this salad with a simple emulsion of oil and vinegar with a little sea salt or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

It's also delicious with Maple Balsamic Dressing.

Instructions

👍🏼 Helpful tips to make the best pear and blue cheese salad

I always feel uncomfortable when I'm out for dinner and I'm faced with a bowl of large leafy greens that are difficult to eat politely!

When you make this Asian pear salad, cut the greens into small bite-sized pieces. They'll co-operate by staying on your fork along with the other fruit and veggies, and you'll make the transfer from plate to mouth with a minimum of fanfare.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Any of the following main dishes will complement the sweet and salty flavours of this pear salad.

• Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
• Asian Glazed Garlic Chicken
• Easy Thai Baked Chicken
• Sesame Miso Salmon Rice Bowls
• Miso Glazed Salmon in Foil Packets

🗒 More salad recipes

📖 Recipe

Asian Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Cranberries

This colourful Asian Pear Salad is full of crisp pears, crunchy vegetables, sweet cranberries and tangy blue cheese. It's a family favourite, perfect for potlucks.

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Course: Salads

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 177kcal

Author: Elaine

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 head crisp lettuce (like romaine or iceberg), chopped into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 winter pear or Asian pear, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoon lemon juice (to prevent browning)
• ▢ 1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup dried cranberries
• ▢ ½ medium long English cucumber, seeded and chopped
• ▢ ¼ - ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
• ▢ ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ▢ sea salt or Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

• Toss the chopped pear with lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Put the pear, pepper, red onion, cucumber, and cranberries in a bowl.
• Toss with olive oil and vinegar.
• Arrange chopped romaine lettuce on a serving platter or bowl.
• Top with pear mixture and garnish with blue cheese and pumpkin seeds.
• Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 995IU | Vitamin C: 42.7mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @enessman or tag #flavourandsavour!

(This recipe was originally published in 2016. It has been updated with new information and photos.)