Pear Salad Recipe

This easy pear salad combines juicy pears, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and crisp greens. Finished with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette, it’s a fresh fall side for weeknight dinners or holidays.

Pear salad topped with thin pear slices, crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, and red onion.

Jessica’s Recipe Science

For the best texture, keep the greens dry after washing so the vinaigrette clings to the leaves instead of diluting.
Slice your pears just before serving to minimize exposure to oxygen, which can cause the cut surfaces to brown.
Use Dijon mustard and mayonnaise as emulsifying agents to help keep the oil and vinegar dispersed for a more stable dressing.

Why It Works

I love making this autumn salad when pears are ripe, especially for fall and holiday meals. It’s a simple, fresh side dish that feels a little special. The combination of sweet, tangy, creamy, and crunchy makes it an easy way to add color and variety to the dinner table. The key to a great pear salad is balancing contrasting textures and flavors.

Mixed greens provide a crisp base, while juicy pears and dried cranberries bring natural sweetness. Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, and crisp red onions add contrasting textures and savory, tangy flavors. The balsamic vinaigrette ties everything together with acidity and richness. This salad pairs especially well with roast turkey and other hearty fall dishes, making it a refreshing side for weeknight dinners or special occasions like Thanksgiving.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Mixed Greens: Many salad greens brands sell a mix, often labeled “spring mix”. This may contain a seasonal combination of green leaf lettuce, mizuna, tango, green oak, spinach, green chard, arugula, red leaf lettuce, lolla rosa, radicchio, red chard, red oak, frisee, butter lettuce, or kale. Feel free to customize!
Pears: Choose ripe but firm pears for the salad. I recommend Bosc for the crispest texture, Bartlett for the sweetest, juiciest bite, or D’Anjou for a balanced mix of sweetness and firmness. Pears are at their peak from late summer to fall; however, I’ve found they’re available year-round at most grocery stores.
Onions: Thinly sliced red onions add a hint of pungency and crisp texture.
Nuts: Walnuts add a rich, buttery flavor and wonderful crunch. You can toast them, or I like to add my homemade candied walnuts for a sweeter taste. Pecans add a buttery crunch.
Cheese: Creamy goat cheese adds richness and tang.
Dressing: Serve the pear salad with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It combines balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. For a lighter-colored dressing, use white balsamic vinegar.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

This pear salad recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:

Lettuce Substitutions: Use other types of lettuce. Try baby spinach, baby kale, romaine, or little gem.
Pears: Use fresh pears or canned pears. Make sure to drain and dry canned pears well before adding to the salad.
Onions: Try pickled red onions for a sweet and tangy taste. Shallots are milder, with a subtle onion and garlic flavor.
Nuts: Try sliced almonds, pistachios, walnuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, or my candied pecans. If you want, swap out the nuts for crunchy homemade croutons.
Cheese Options: Sprinkle on gorgonzola, blue cheese, Parmesan, or Pecorino Romano. Add fresh mozzarella or smaller mozzarella ciliegine.
Add More Fruit: Add pomegranates, persimmon, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, oranges, or mandarins. Add dried apricots or golden raisins.
Add Vegetables: Add grated carrots, sliced cucumber, fennel, radish, tomatoes, or creamy avocados.
Salad Dressing Options: For a milder taste, use white balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or red or white wine vinegar, like in my spinach salad recipe. A splash of lemon juice adds a lovely citrus taste. Add poppy seeds for crunch.
Add Protein: Add grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, salmon, or hard boiled eggs. Quinoa and farro make great vegetarian protein options.

How to Make Pear Salad

Mixed salad greens being rinsed under running water in a salad spinner basket.

Step 1: Prepare the Mixed Greens

Rinse mixed greens under cool water to remove dirt and potential contaminants. Spin them dry; this is key to proper dressing adhesion, as excess water dilutes the vinaigrette and prevents it from coating the leaves evenly.

Thinly sliced green pear arranged on a wooden cutting board next to a chef's knife.

Step 2: Slice the Pear

Rinse the pear well and dry it, then slice it into 1/8-inch slices. If you’re not serving the salad right away, after slicing the pears, place them in a bowl with 1 cup cold water mixed with ½ teaspoon salt. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse well. This will keep the pears from browning quickly after slicing. Alternatively, cover the slices with plastic wrap, or squeeze lemon juice over them.

Balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and spices in a bowl with a wire whisk.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

Whisking the balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper first helps distribute the ingredients evenly. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to create an emulsion, dispersing tiny oil droplets throughout the vinegar and coating the greens with a smooth dressing.

Ingredient Chemistry: Dijon mustard contains natural emulsifying compounds that help stabilize the mixture, while mayonnaise adds lecithin, which helps keep the oil and vinegar dispersed. I wouldn’t skip the mayo if you have it available.

Mixed greens tossed with balsamic dressing in a bowl using metal tongs.

Step 4: Dress the Mixed Greens

I like to toss the salad greens with a ¼ cup of dressing in a large bowl before adding the toppings. This ensures a light, even coating. Reserve the remaining dressing for guests to drizzle over the salad.

Make Ahead Tip: If you don’t plan to serve the salad right away, don’t dress the greens. Instead, assemble the salad on a serving platter, then add the dressing when ready to eat.

Top-down view of a bowl of pear salad with mixed greens, pear slices, goat cheese, dried cranberries, nuts, and red onion.

Step 5: Assemble the Salad

Adding the toppings after dressing the mixed greens preserves their texture and makes for a nice presentation. This step ensures that delicate ingredients like the pears and goat cheese aren’t crushed.

Pro Tip: To make the sliced onions less pungent, run them under cold water for 1 minute or soak them in ice water for about 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry before adding to the salad.

Assembled pear salad with fresh pear slices, goat cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, candied nuts, and sliced red onion.

Step 6: To Serve

When I serve this pear salad, I like to keep extra balsamic dressing on the side so everyone can add more. A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper add a finishing touch. You can also sprinkle on some poppy seeds for a gourmet taste. If you like this salad, try my Asian pear salad or strawberry salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best pears to use for salad?

Bartlett pears are sweet, juicy, and floral with a softer texture when ripe, making them ideal if you want a tender, juicy bite. Bosc pears have a firmer, crisp texture and warm, honey-like sweetness, so they hold their shape well in a salad. D’Anjou pears fall in between, with a mild sweetness, subtle citrus notes, and a firm, juicy texture, making them a versatile choice for salad. You can also use canned pears, but they won’t be as crisp. Drain and pat dry well before adding.

How do you keep sliced pears from browning?

I’ve found that a light saltwater soak is an easy way to help keep sliced pears from browning. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt in water, soak the pear slices for about 10 minutes, then rinse with cold water and drain well before adding them to the salad. The salt helps slow enzymatic browning by limiting the activity of the enzymes that react with oxygen. I use this method to keep apples from turning brown, and it works the best. You can also soak them in water with lemon juice or honey.

What dressing goes well with pear salad?

A balsamic vinaigrette is a classic pairing for pear salad. Its tangy acidity balances the pears’ natural sweetness, while honey adds sweetness and Dijon mustard helps create a smooth, emulsified dressing. For a different flavor profile, try a maple Dijon, champagne vinaigrette, or apple cider vinaigrette.