Happy New Year! With the start of a new year, there are new goals and resolutions. Whether you’re looking to eat healthier, build a routine, or not change a thing, this salad recipe is the perfect way to start 2022. This winter pear salad recipe is so easy to make and meal prep. It’s full of flavor and delicious in-season produce.
I don’t know about you, but one thing I have struggled with is adding variety to my diet. I tend to find something I like and stick to it. Whether it be produce, desserts, or dinner recipes, I’m a creature of habit. One thing I’ve tried to do to break this habit is eating with the seasons. It can be easy to write off fall, winter, and spring since most fruits and vegetables tend to be produced in the summer, but there are plenty of amazing fruits and vegetables grown in the other seasons. Not only does this bring some much-needed diversity to my diet, but it’s also more cost-effective to buy in-season produce.
Pears and pomegranates are grown in the winter. This winter pear salad recipe makes eating healthy and in-season this new year so easy. The balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe included in this recipe is my go-to salad dressing for any time of the year! It’s the perfect way to start the new year on the right foot, and it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant!
Ingredients Needed
To make this winter pear salad recipe yourself at home you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Olive Oil: We’ll use olive oil to make the balsamic vinaigrette dressing to top this salad. You’ll need 1/3 cup for this recipe.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic Vinegar is also used to make the balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We’ll need 1/3 cup for this recipe.
- Minced garlic: You’ll need two cloves of minced garlic to add to the dressing.
- Salt and pepper: We’ll just need a pinch of salt and pepper to bring out the flavors in the balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
- Dijon Mustard: Adding a 1/2 tsp of dijon mustard to the balsamic vinaigrette gives the dressing the perfect subtle mustard flavor. I’ve linked the Primal Kitchen dijon mustard which is my favorite to use as it uses minimal ingredients, and is paleo and Whole30 approved.
- Chicken: We will be adding some grilled chicken to this salad for protein. To make two servings of this salad, you’ll need 1 lb of chicken.
- Olive oil: We’ll need an additional 1 tbsp of olive oil to bake the chicken with.
- Salt and pepper: We’ll also need an additional pinch of salt and pepper to bake the chicken with.
- Lettuce: For this winter pear salad, we’ll use 1 cup of fresh lettuce as the base of this salad recipe.
- Pear: You’ll need one pear for two servings of this salad. Chop the pear into small pieces to be added to the salad.
- Pomegranate seeds: Pomegranate seeds are one of my favorite recent discoveries. They make a delicious addition to this salad. We’ll need 2 tbsp for this recipe. I like to buy my seeds already seeded in a container, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can buy a pomegranate and harvest them yourself.
- Chopped pecans: Trader Joe’s is hands down my favorite place to buy nuts from. They have a wide variety of nuts and sell them for a relatively more affordable price. We’ll need a 1/4 cup of chopped pecans for this recipe.
How to Make This Winter Pear Salad Recipe
Follow the steps below to make this fresh and delicious salad yourself.
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the oven is preheating, in a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette ingredients (olive oil through dijon mustard).
Next, add the chicken to a baking dish. Season with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Then, add the lettuce, chopped pear, pomegranate seeds, and chopped pecans to a salad bowl. Add in the diced cooked chicken. Top the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette.
Finally, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Answering any questions you may have about this simple and flavorsome winter pear salad. If you don’t see the answer to your question below feel free to leave a comment!
Using different fruits
I wanted to highlight the in-season winter fruits in this salad recipe, which is why I used pears and pomegranates. If you’re not a fan of these fruits or would like to swap them out you can absolutely make a switch! Clementines are also in-season in the winter. This salad would taste really great with apples, or grapes. Feel free to make swaps as you see fit.
Making this recipe vegetarian
I enjoy adding grilled chicken to this salad for the added protein, however, you could forego the chicken to make this salad vegetarian. If you’re not dairy-free I’d recommend swapping out the chicken with some cheese for added protein. Goat cheese, bleu cheese, and gouda would all taste great on this salad!
Winter Pear Salad
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 lb chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 cup lettuce
- 1 pear chopped
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette ingredients (olive oil through dijon mustard).
- Add the chicken to a baking dish. Season with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Add the lettuce, chopped pear, pomegranate seeds, and chopped pecans to a salad bowl. Add in the diced cooked chicken. Top the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette.
- Serve and enjoy!
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