*This recipe for Red Pear & Goat Cheese Medallion Salad + Maple Mustard Vinaigrette is made possible in collaboration with Earthbound Farms. All words and opinions are my own.
Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us.
There are so many different dishes that make this time of year what it is, and one of those is a stunning green salad.
When planning out a show-stopper of a salad side, you know where we start…
With the foundation of the dish. The greens!
Earthbound Farms makes choosing a base easy with their variety of pre-washed and ready to eat greens. It’s such a simple thing, but not having to wash lettuce saves so much time in the kitchen and I’ll be the first to admit it’s a persuading factor when it comes to purchasing greens. I was mesmerized by their rose blend and new that those pink pops of radicchio studded throughout delicate baby kale and spinach was just the place I wanted to start.
Earthbound Farms produces organic produce in a sustainable manner and packages their lettuce in 100% post-consumer recycled PET to help keep about 40 million pounds of plastic out of landfills every year.
Since raw greens are highly perishable and a lot of waste comes about in the industry, Earthbound Farms has found a way to reduce waste in their plant by recycling safe, organic material into animal feed or donated to food banks when conditions permit.
Good greens are one thing.
But good, organic greens that are thoughtfully packaged and sustainably produced? Makes my leafy green choices a no-brainer.
Click here to find Earthbound Farms greens near you.
Since this rose lettuce blend is just so pretty, it really needs minimal topping.
Red pears are a fall favorite of mine, and look so lovely sliced and fanned out among the magenta’s and deep greens of the lettuce.
Goats cheese rolled in toasted pecans and sliced into rounds add a pop of bright color and nutty texture to this simple, stunning side.
All that’s needed to finish it off is a good dressing, of course.
Coarse ground mustard is the star of this one and is sweetened up a bit with maple syrup. I love the interest the flecks of whole grain mustard give when suspended in a vinaigrette. This will keep for several weeks in the fridge, so make a double batch, if you like, and dress everything!
Happy November Friends!
More holiday salads:
Roasted Beet & Strawberry Salad
Baby Kale Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
Warm Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad
Red Pear & Goat Cheese Medallion Salad + Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves: serves 6-8
Ingredients
- FOR THE SALAD:
- ¾ cup Pecans
- 4 oz Goat Cheese Log
- 10 oz (2 small boxes) Earthbound Farms Rose Blend Lettuce
- 2 Red Pears
- FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
- ½ cup neutral tasting oil, like Avocado or Canola
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Sweet Onion (I just cut a slice that looks like about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon Coarse Ground Brown Mustard
Instructions
- FOR THE SALAD:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the pecans on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 6-7 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Watch closely as they can burn easily.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Set ½ cup of the pecans aside.
- Chop the remaining ¼ cup pecans into small pieces and place on a place. Roll the goat cheese log over the chopped nuts until it is well coated all the way around. Place in the fridge.
- Fill a large serving bowl full of the rose blend lettuce.
- Cut the pears in half and remove cores. Thinly slice each pear half and fan out the slices. Place the fans on top of the lettuce.
- Remove the goat cheese log from the fridge and cut into ¼" thick slices. Place slices around the top of the salad. Sprinkle the reserved toasted pecans over the top of the salad.
- Serve with the Maple Mustard Vinaigrette.
- FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
- Place all ingredients except for the mustard in a high speed blender. Process, starting on low and moving to high speed until well blended. The onion should be undetectable.
- Add the mustard and blend again on low for a few seconds until mustard is fully incorporated.
- Pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Yum!