Spinach Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Enjoy the many textures and flavors of fall in this elegant Spinach and Pear Salad. Creamy goat cheese, juicy pears, roasted sweet potatoes, and earthy greens are tossed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette. Perfect for dinner parties and holidays alike!
This Spectacular Side Salad Is Perfect for Fall
If you’re looking for a leafy green salad that celebrates the diverse flavors of fall, you have to make this arugula and spinach salad tossed with pears, sweet potatoes, toasted pumpkin seeds, and more!
The various textures in this salad keep me going back for bite after bite. And the maple balsamic vinaigrette complements the salad ingredients without overpowering them.
Here’s why you’re going to love this spinach, pear, and goat cheese salad:
✔ Works as a Side or Entree: This simple salad can do double duty as a side dish or main course, depending on your hunger levels.
✔ Flexible Recipe: As written, it’s a hearty vegetarian fall green salad, but you’re welcome to add sliced hard-boiled eggs, meal prepped chicken, or another protein of choice if enjoying the salad on its own.
✔ Make Ahead Option: Prepare this salad for an upcoming dinner party, or add it to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menus. I’ve provided make-ahead instructions for this recipe in the post below should you want to prepare elements of the salad in advance before your guests arrive!
Enjoy!
-Katie
The Main Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
This spinach and pear salad has three main components: the maple balsamic dressing, the roasted sweet potatoes (which must be prepared in advance), and the rest of the salad fixings. All of the ingredients with their measurements can be found in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of the main ones.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette — I prefer making my own with a simple blend of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, pure maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can sub in your favorite store-bought dressing if that’s easier for you.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes — I seasoned mine with fresh sage and thyme, but you can use 1/3 the amount of dried herbs if that’s all you have on hand.
- Mixed Greens — I love making this pear salad with both spinach and arugula for lots of texture and flavor. We love the earthly spinach paired with the peppery arugula, but use what you have. Any leafy salad greens may be used!
- Fresh Pears — You can use any type of snacking pear you like. I typically use one red pear and one D’Anjou or Bartlett Pear because those are the kinds my family likes. Red pears are mild in flavor, sweet, and very smooth in texture; D’Anjou and Bartlett pears are also sweet and juicy, but are slightly firmer in texture.
- Pomegranate Arils — Can be subbed with dried cranberries or dried cherries, in a pinch.
- Red Onion — Has a sweeter bite than yellow or white onion, and it’s perfect for enjoying raw on salads.
- Pumpkin Seeds — Pepitas add a lovely crunch and subtle flavor to the salad. If you don’t have any pepitas, swap them out with toasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, or pecans. Candied walnuts would be an extra delicious substitution as well!
- Crumbled Goat Cheese — If you’re out of goat cheese or aren’t a fan of it, you may replace it with blue cheese (my top choice), feta, Parmesan, or sharp white cheddar.
The 3 Steps to Making This Spinach Salad with Pears
This is a straightforward recipe that’s easy to follow, but be sure to give yourself enough time to roast the sweet potatoes before serving the salad. While the sweet potatoes roast, I recommend preparing the other ingredients for the salad.
- Make the dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients in a mason jar or small bowl. Shake or whisk to combine.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Toss the sweet potatoes together with the olive oil and spices. Transfer to a cast iron or baking sheet pan and roast until evenly browned. Once done, remove from the oven and stir in the fresh herbs.
- Assemble. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and arugula. Then, arrange on a large platter (or toss in a salad bowl and simply leave in the bowl). Top with the roasted sweet potatoes, pears, pomegranate arils, red onion, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle the salad with the maple balsamic vinaigrette, then top with crumbled goat cheese.
Want to add a protein? For a heartier salad, add cubed or shredded chicken, sliced hard-boiled eggs, or another protein of choice. It is especially delicious with leftover roasted chicken. For a vegetarian option, you could also try adding cannellini beans.
Katie’s Tips for Making This Salad
- Use two different kinds of pears — This provides slightly different flavors and textures than using just one type of pear. However, use whatever you have on hand!
- Use ripe pears — To test a pear’s ripeness, apply gentle pressure near the stem of the pear; if it gives slightly, it’s ripe. You want to use ripe pears so they’re juicy and provide maximum flavor.
- Buy pre-packaged pomegranate arils — I prefer buying a whole pomegranate and seeding it myself to reduce my family’s plastic waste, but when I’m short on time I like to purchase pre-packaged pomegranate arils at the grocery store. That way, all I have to to is open the package and measure out the arils before adding them to the spinach pear salad.
- Feel free to mix and match the ingredients — This is a flexible recipe, so use what you have on hand and feel free to mix and match!
Make-Ahead Instructions
I do NOT recommend assembling the entire salad in advance as the spinach and arugula would soften and the dish would become soggy. However, you can prepare elements of this spinach and pear salad ahead of time!
- Balsamic Vinaigrette – Can be whisked together and stored up to 1 week in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving; the oil solidifies in the refrigerator and needs time to become pourable once more.
- Sweet Potatoes – Can be roasted and refrigerated up to 3 days before being used. Bring them to room temperature before serving the salad. I recommend reheating them gently in a pan before serving; however, you can also add them to the salad cold.
- Salad Greens – You can wash, rinse, and dry the greens a few days in advance of serving this salad with pear and goat cheese. Make sure you dry them well, then store in a zip top bag or container with a piece of paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture.
What to Serve with This Salad
This is the perfect leafy green fall salad to serve alongside your favorite mains. Pair the salad with one of the following:
More Stunning Fall Salads to Try
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Spinach and Pear Salad Recipe
Enjoy the many textures and flavors of fall in this elegant Spinach Pear Salad. Creamy goat cheese, juicy pears, roasted sweet potatoes, and earthy greens are tossed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Ghee/Clarified Butter
- 3 cups Sweet Potatoes (peels on), cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Sage, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme Leaves
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups Baby Arugula
- 4 cups Baby Spinach
- Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes, see above
- 1 Red Pear, halved and sliced thin
- 1 D’Anjou or Bartlett Pear, halved and sliced thin
- ½ cup Pomegranate Arils
- ⅓ of a small Red Onion, cut in half and sliced thin
- ¼ cup Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)
- 4 ½ ounces crumbled Goat Cheese
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preparing the Dressing
- Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar. Secure the lid and shake until combined.
- Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a glass measuring cup using a whisk.
Roasting the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Toss the sweet potatoes together with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, transfer to a cast iron pan and roast for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring periodically so all sides are evenly browned.
- When the sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, remove from the oven and stir the fresh herbs in. Set aside.
Assembling the Salad
- Gently toss the spinach and arugula together. Then, arrange on a large platter. Top with the sweet potatoes, pears, pomegranate arils, red onion, and pumpkin seeds.
- Drizzle the salad with the maple balsamic vinaigrette, then top with crumbled goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Meal Prep Tips: Salad dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or until the oil is no longer solidified and the dressing is pourable. Whisk to combine any separated ingredients before dressing the salad.
Roasted sweet potatoes can be prepared 1 - 2 days in advance. Reheat gently in a cast iron pan on the stove to warm and re-crisp them before assembling the rest of the salad.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 624mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 8gSugar: 19gProtein: 8g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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