Pear & Pecan Salad
Stay festive & fresh with this Holiday Pear & Pecan Salad
Trying to kickstart your healthy eating resolution a few days early? Bring this tasty holiday salad from Chelsea’s Messy Apron to the party for a fresh change of flavor that everyone can’t help but dig into!
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
-
Made up of 1 large egg white, 2 tsp water, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup white sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 4 cups or 1 lb pecan halves
Salad
-
Made up of 1 bag (6-8 oz or about 8 cups) fresh spring mix, 1 cup heaping pomegranate arils, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 15 oz fresh or canned pear halves, 4 oz feta cheese
Dressing
- Made up of 3 tbs red wine vinegar, 5 tbs white sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries completely thawed, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 and 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
For the candied pecans:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whip together egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add pecans to egg whites and stir to coat nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread nuts out on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring and tossing every 15 minutes.
For the salad:
- Thoroughly drain pear halves and set on cutting board. Very thinly slice pears.
- Toss together spring mix, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, pears, and feta cheese.
- Toss all together to combine.
For the dressing:
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the oil and poppy seeds in a blender or food processor. Pulse until well combined. Slowly add oil in a steady stream. Blend until emulsified and smooth.
- Stir in poppyseeds. Dressing should be thick.
- Toss the dressing and candied pecans with the salad when ready to eat. Only dress and add pecans to what you will eat to avoid soggy pecans and greens! Store salad, pecans, and dressing separately for delicious leftovers!