TL/DR – Fall Fruit and Cheese Crunchy Salad. Whether you choose to use poached pears or just pomegranate seeds, brie or blue cheese, the crunchy components of this salad with the reduced balsamic vinaigrette make it a crowd pleaser. –
This is definitely a weekend salad. It has several components, all of which require a little bit of preparation. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s “fussy,” but each component is worth the labor. The final product is a tower of texture and flavor with a perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy, fatty goodness in each bite.
To start, use a bed of arugula. It’s a little spicy, slightly bitter, and stands up well to sweet flavors. Top it with a pear, peeled and poached for a few minutes in balsamic vinegar. Or use pomegranate seeds briefly simmered in balsamic. Reduce the balsamic to about 2 T, when it is sweet and slightly thick, then make a vinaigrette.
Use either brie, blue or gorgonzola cheese. Then top with a combination of crispy fried onions, (easier than you think,) and a crumbly topping made of pepitas and panko crumbs toasted lightly in butter with a bit of salt and pepper.
For. Real. This. IS. BOMB.
For another meal-sized salad, try Asian Chicken Salad with Miso Dressing.
Fall Fruit and Cheese Crunchy Salad
With options for brie or blue cheese, poached pear or pomegranate seeds, this salad is topped with easy fried crispy onions and a crumbly, salty pepita and panko crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 just-ripe pear, peeled, cored and quartered, OR 1/2 c fresh pomegranate seeds
- 3/4 c balsamic vinegar
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 t kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 t pepper, divided
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced very thinly
- 1/4 c all purpose flour
- 1/2 c canola or vegetable oil
- 1/4 c roasted and salted pepitas
- 1/4 c panko crumbs
- 1 T butter
- 5 oz fresh arugula
- 4 oz brie, blue or gorgonzola cheese
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until boiling. Add the pear quarters (or pomegranate seeds,) and lower heat to a simmer. Poach for about 5 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon or a sieve and set aside to cool.
- Step 2 Heat the remaining balsamic over medium for about 10 minutes until reduced to about 2 T, slightly thick. Then remove from the heat to cool.
- Step 3 As the pear or pomegranate seeds poach, slice the onions, sprinkle with 1/8 t salt, and toss in the flour. Heat the canola oil to very hot, and in two or three batches, fry the thin onion slices until golden and then drain them on a paper towel.
- Step 4 Heat the butter in a small skillet on medium high heat and toast the pepitas, bread crumbs, 1/8 t salt and 1/8 t pepper for about 3 minutes, monitoring carefully so they don’t burn, then set aside to cool.
- Step 5 Whisk together the reduced balsamic, olive oil, 1/8 t salt and 1/8 t pepper.
- Step 6 To assemble, divide the arugula into two low bowls. Top first with the fruit and cheese, then a drizzle of dressing. Do not use all of the dressing, only about 1 T. Then top with the pepita breadcrumb mixture followed by a mound of crispy onions. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
