Salads are beautifully seasonal. During the summer months, salads are fanciful celebrations of über-fresh produce. We adorn perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes with a touch of this herb or that, and just a drizzle of fruity olive oil. In the fall, we turn our attention to roasted root vegetables, reveling in the complex, earthy characteristics that make them so inviting as the weather cools.
And when winter rolls around, salads can even be warm.
This salad is an exercise in calculated contrast between textures and tastes. Slightly cooked pears give up just a hint of their crunch while pecans add substance. Together, they sit on a bed of barely wilted spinach coated in a mouthwatering, sweet-tangy dressing of caramelized shallots, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. A hint of blue cheese adds an unnecessary, but much appreciated level of extravagance with its almost creamy texture and elusive flavor.
Recipe adapted from Marsha Nourse and Karen Rothman
Serves 4
What you need:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 1/2 c balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 pear, cut in half, cored, and sliced thin (apple would also work)
- 1 (10 oz) bag baby spinach or chopped spinach
- 1/4 c pecans, whole or chopped (walnuts would also work)
- crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese to garnish (optional)
What to do:
- In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add shallots and cook until they start to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add vinegar and sugar, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add pear slices and cook 1-2 minutes, flipping to cook both sides, until just warmed and starting to soften. Remove pear slices and set aside.
- Add spinach and toss to coat with the remaining shallot-vinegar-sugar mixture, cooking very briefly until the spinach begins to just wilt down. Put the spinach on serving plate or bowl.
- Top spinach with pears, pecans, and blue cheese.
Tags: cheese, nuts, vegetarian
thanks for the recipe! i love all these ingredients and the salad looks great.