Maple Pear Salad with Goat Cheese

The ultimate fall salad! My boys adore pears, so this maple pear salad with goat cheese gets rave reviews every time I serve it.

I got some serious parenting points with this maple pear salad with goat cheese! You know you’ve hit the salad jackpot when your 16-year old son stands at the kitchen counter after dinner, eating up every last bite of the leftover salad. The boy loves anything to do with pears, which definitely tipped the scales in favor of this pear salad.

The pear (or apple) – goat cheese combo is a favorite around here (hello, Cinnamon Apple & Goat Cheese Crostini!). Including both is one of the ways to ensure my boys will go back for second or even third helpings of salad.

This fall salad comes together in just 15 minutes, making it a fantastic option for a weeknight meal. But the maple glaze on the pears turns it into something really special, which makes it equally worthy of gracing a holiday table.

Serve it with a warming soup, such as Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup, alongside a baked pasta dish, such as turkey stuffed shells or baked ziti, or with baked chicken breast.

What you need for this pear salad with goat cheese:

These are the main components for this recipe (affiliate links included):

• Pears: I’ve made this recipe with Bosc and red pears, and they work equally well.
• Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup – not the corn syrup “maple” syrup – is the way to go. You can find the good stuff at any grocery store.
• Balsamic vinegar: The balsamic vinegar is used to finish off the glazed pears. You can find decent aged balsamic vinegar at most grocery stores or online.
• Greens: I use mixed baby greens, but arugula, spinach or Boston bibb lettuce are also good options.
• Pecans: Start with raw pecans and toast them for a few minutes in dry skillet set over medium heat.
• Goat cheese: A little chevre (soft goat cheese) goes a long way! Typically, it’s served in logs in the deli section of most grocery stores.
• Dressing: The dressing is a simple mix of maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Should I use ripe pears?

I prefer to use pears that are slightly underripe so that they don’t become too soft while cooking. The goal is to brown the pear slices, caramelizing the maple syrup. That process takes 2 to 3 minutes per side. Ripe or overripe pears will turn mushy when cooked, so make sure you start with pears that have some firmness when gently squeezed.

How to make this a dinner salad:

This side salad could easily be made into a dinner salad with the addition of cooked chicken or seared shrimp. For a vegetarian option, add cannellini (white kidney) beans, chickpeas or baked tofu.

I suggest doubling the salad ingredients if serving this as an entree for four people.

Other easy green salads:

Kale, Pomegranate & Mandarin Orange Salad {Cookin’ Canuck}
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad {Cookin’ Canuck}
Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette {Southern Bite}
Fall Salad with Pomegranate Dressing {Carlsbad Cravings}

Printable Recipe

Maple Pear Salad with Goat Cheese

The ultimate fall salad! My boys adore pears, so this maple pear salad with goat cheese gets rave reviews every time I serve it.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salads, Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 235.1kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

• 2 pear quartered & cored, slightly underripe
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 5 cups mixed greens
• ⅓ cup pecan halves toasted
• 1 ½ ounces soft goat cheese chevre, crumbled

The Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon pure maple syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

• Place the pear quarters in a bowl and toss with the maple syrup, salt and pepper until coated.
• Heat the olive oil in a small nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the pears, one cut side down and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the pears onto the other cut side and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to coat the pears.
• Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then cut the pears into 1-inch pieces.
• In a serving bowl, combine the mixed greens, browned pears, pecans and goat cheese. Toss with the dressing. Serve.

The Dressing:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 6 (Blue - Freestyle SmartPoints), 6 (Green), 6 (Purple)

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup | Calories: 235.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 18.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Cholesterol: 4.9mg | Sodium: 282.2mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 10.8g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This post was first published on November 6, 2017 and updated on October 22, 2020.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.