Spinach, Pear, and Manchego Salad

With all the rich Thanksgiving foods last week, I’ve been craving salads this week. In the Fall when the pears are ripe, this spinach, pear & Manghego salad with maple balsamic dressing is one of my go-tos. The secret is to use a perfectly ripe pear. Pears are rarely ripe when you get them at the store, so buy a few and let them sit on the counter until they are ripe. If you are in a hurry, Harry & David recommends putting the pears in a paper bag with a banana or apple to speed up the process.

The maple balsamic salad dressing for this salad is from an old Bon Appetit salad recipe. (For some crazy reason, it is no longer on their website.) I’ve found this dressing works well with spinach and a variety of combinations of fruit, cheese, and nuts, so I always keep some on hand. You can keep it in a jar on the counter for a few days. Just re-whisk it prior to using to reblend it. If you plan to keep it longer than a few days, store it in the fridge. Remove the dressing from the fridge a few hours before you plan to serve it so that the olive oil can come back to room temperature before your rewhisk it. (The olive oil will solidify in the fridge.)

Try this salad with Spaghetti Carbonara or Marinated Flank Steak.

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Spinach, Pear, and Manchego Salad

December 6, 2020

Servings: 1

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• spinach 1 c. per small salad, 2 c. per large salad)
• 1/2 pear, diced
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
• 1-2 Tbsp. Manchego cheese (diced or course grated)
• 1-2 Tbsp. salad dressing
• Salad Dressing
• 1/3 c. maple syrup
• 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Directions

• Step 1 Clean the spinach. Chop pecans. Cut Manchego into small (1/4″) cubes or grate with a course grater. Wash the pear, but do not cut it up yet.
• Step 2 Whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil for dressing.
• Step 3 Put spinach, pecans, and Manchego in serving bowl . Dice pear into small squares (leave the skin on) and add to the serving bowl. Top with dressing (1-2 Tbsp. per serving) and serve.

Detailed Instructions

Clean the spinach. Chop pecans. Cut Manchego into small (1/4″) cubes or grate with a course grater. Wash the pear, but do not cut it up yet.
Note: I like to clean the spinach in a salad spinner and then put it in the fridge in the salad spinner for at least 30 min (or overnight). This makes the spinach nice and crisp.

Whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil for dressing.

Put spinach, pecans, and Manchego in serving bowl . Dice pear into small squares (leave the skin on) and add to the serving bowl. Top with dressing (1-2 Tbsp. per salad serving) and serve. Note: It is important to add the pears at the last minute so that they don’t turn brown before serving.