Pear and Endive Salad

Pear and Endive Salad

I love a salad that is as beautiful as it is delicious. This Pear and Endive Salad really delivers in both categories. The sweetness of the pears is balanced out with the tartness of the champagne vinaigrette. I added shaved Parmesan and roasted hazelnuts to give the salad the depth and crunch that I wanted. I find that roasting the hazelnuts brought out their flavor, which made them even more delicious. In the dressing, I added a few dashes of hot sauce and a bit of honey which really amped up the flavor. This salad would be perfect for entertaining, The presentation is so pretty and the color of the endive is lovely. You can find more fun salad recipes here and here!

Ingredients:

For the salad:

3 heads of Belgian endive

1 green Anjou pear

1/2 cup of raw hazelnuts

1/4 cup of shaved Parmesan

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt to taste

For the champagne vinaigrette:

2/3 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of dijon mustard

A few dashes of hot sauce

1 shallot, finely chopped

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions:

For the salad:

Set the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, toss the hazelnut in olive oil and lightly salt them.

Spread the hazelnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Roast the hazelnuts for 15 minutes, until they are fragrant.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Trim the endive and arrange it on the serving platter.

Core and slice the pear and arrange it on top of the endive.

Top the salad with shaved Parmesan and roasted hazelnuts.

For the champagne vinaigrette:

In a food processor, add olive oil and champagne vinegar.

Add the honey, dijon mustard, and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Add in the shallot and salt and pepper to taste.

Blend the dressing until it has a smooth consistency.

Serve with the Pear and Endive Salad and enjoy!