Elena Davis is a true Italian cook with true Italian flair! Her website is one to bookmark come dinner time. You can check out all of her recipes at cucinabyelena.com.
Pears and walnuts add some sweetness and crunch to this gorgonzola salad.
A green salad is an important part of the Thanksgiving table. Take this side up a few notches with an Italian recipe! Perfectly ripe pears add a sweet note to balance out the bold flavor of gorgonzola cheese. Top it off with a tangy orange honey mustard dressing for a fancied up holiday salad.
Elena Davis shares how it all comes together. She recommends plating and serving in a shallow dish and not tossing it! Pour the dressing over everything evenly 10 minutes before dinnertime so it can seep down through the lettuce. Then as people dish up, it will naturally mix into all the ingredients.
Find all of Elena’s Italian recipes on Instagram, @cucinabyelena, or at www.cucinabyelena.com.
Pear, Walnut, and Gorgonzola Salad with Orange Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Orange Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice + zest of one orange
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic cut in quarters
Salad
- 2 bags (510 g) Italian lettuce mix or spring greens
- 2 medium pears, cored and diced
- 5 tablespoons of crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
- 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Instructions
Citrus and Honey Vinaigrette Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a Mason jar and shake vigorously. The dressing can stay at room temperature for up to two hours and up to one week in the refrigerator.
Salad
- In a large salad bowl or plater add the mixed salad. Add the rest of the ingredients on top of the salad. Do not toss.
- Add all of the prepared dressing on evenly on top of the salad 10 minute before serving. Do not toss or all the ingredients will fall to the bottom. The dressing will eventually coat the bottom of the salad as it sinks. The salad will toss naturally as it is served. Mangia!
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