This recipe for Pear and Pecan Harvest Salad with Shallot and Thyme Vinaigrette is amazing! It’s just as beautiful as it is delicious. This would be a perfect dish to serve on Thanksgiving. Every table needs something fresh when you are serving a decadent meal. I love the flavor of the spicy pecans with the sweetness of the pears. The blue cheese and pomegranate seeds add the perfect pop. We went to the last farmer’s market of the season and bought the prettiest lettuces to serve as the base of the salad. When I was making the vinaigrette, I sautéed the shallots and thyme in olive oil for a few minutes and it took the dressing to the next level. The flavors were amplified and complimented the other ingredients perfectly.
For the Salad:
Ingredients:
6 cups of mixed baby lettuces
1 pomegranate
2 D’Angou pears
1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup of spiced pecans
Instructions:
Wash and dry your greens and arrange them on your platter.
Cut the pomegranate in half.
Hold the half over a medium bowl, cut half facing down.
Gently beat the pomegranate to release the seeds.
When you have the pomegranate seeds removed, fill the bowl with cold water.
The membranes from the pomegranate will float to the top, allowing you to skim them off.
Strain the pomegranate seeds from the water and lay them on a paper towel to dry a bit.
Core the pears and slice them.
Arrange the pears on the platter of greens.
Top the greens with pecans, blue cheese, and pomegranate seeds.
Serve with the vinaigrette and enjoy!
For the Spiced Pecans:
Ingredients:
2 cups of pecan halves
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Instructions:
Set the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small pan, melt the butter.
When the butter is melted, add the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and salt.
Whisk the mixture together.
In a medium glass bowl, coat the pecans in the butter mixture.
Pour the coated pecans onto a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Make sure the pecans are spread out in a single layer.
Cook the pecans for 30 minutes, until they are golden brown.
Pull the pecans from the oven and place them on a plate to cool.
Store them in an air-tight container.
For the Shallot and Thyme Vinaigrette
1/3 cup of olive oil, plus one tablespoon
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a small pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
When the oil is shimmering, add the minced shallots and thyme.
Let the shallots cook until they are fragrant and translucent.
Transfer the shallots to a small bowl.
Add the olive oil and vinegar and whisk the mixture.
Add the mustard, maple syrup.
Whisk the dressing until it is creamy and well combined.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
You can find more delicious Thanksgiving recipes here and here!
