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arugula pear salad in a bowl
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Meaningful Eats

Arugula Pear Goat Cheese Salad (with Maple Vinaigrette!)

8 servings
This arugula pear salad is perfect for any season! The homemade maple vinaigrette is one of my all-time favorite salad dressings!
This salad features tender baby arugula is tossed in a sweet and savory maple vinaigrette and topped with crisp pear, crunchy pecans, and creamy goat cheese.
Course Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Maple Vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 small clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon grainy country-style mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • cup olive oil

For the Salad

  • 1 bartlett pear thinly sliced or diced
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 bag 7 ounces baby arugula
  • 1 cup candied pecans
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 4 ounces cold goat cheese freshly crumbled

Instructions

For the Maple Vinaigrette

  • Place the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, minced garlic, dijon mustard, grainy mustard, salt, and pepper in a large jar and use an immersion blender to blend them together until combined. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, a food processor, or a whisk!
  • With the blender on low speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue blending until the dressing is fully emulsified– about 15 seconds. Set aside until ready to use.

For the Salad

  • In a small bowl, stir together the pear and lemon juice until the pear is well coated– this will help prevent it from browning.
  • Add the arugula to a large bowl and drizzle over ⅓ of the dressing. Toss to combine.
  • Add the pear, pecans, and pomegranate seeds to the arugula and toss to combine.
  • Next crumble over the goat cheese and enjoy immediately with extra dressing on the side.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES
  • This arugula pear salad is completely customizable so feel free to use what you have on hand! Arugula can be substituted for your favorite salad greens, such as baby spinach, mixed greens, endive, etc. Pear can be substituted for apple, strawberries, or figs. Pecans can be substituted for toasted walnuts, pine nuts, or omitted if needed. Pomegranate seeds can be substituted for dried cranberries or omitted. 
  • Don’t want to make homemade dressing? Use your favorite bottled vinaigrette. You’ll need about ½ cup for this arugula pear salad . 
  • I love the crisp texture and flavor of Bartlett pears with this arugula pear salad, but feel free to use your favorite pear. Anjou or Bosc pears would also work. Just make sure the pears are ripe and juicy! 
  • Fresh goat cheese logs have much more flavor than pre-crumbled goat cheese so I highly recommend buying a log and crumbling it yourself. Just make sure to keep the goat cheese cold so it crumbles easily. Feta cheese would also be delicious in this arugula pear salad, if you aren’t a fan of goat cheese. 

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg