Poached Pear Salad
This elegant Poached Pear Salad transforms simple ingredients into an irresistible infusion of fall-inspired flavors. Tender pears, gently simmered in a warm bath of maple syrup, vanilla, brandy, and cinnamon, rest on a bed of fresh greens with homemade vinaigrette. Each bite is perfectly sweet, tangy, and crunchy.
For a beautiful presentation, we love serving this pear and goat cheese salad arranged on individual plates. Fan out the elegant pear slices over the fresh mixed greens, then artfully scatter the crumbled goat cheese and candied pecans on top. This makes it a sophisticated side dish for a holiday feast or a satisfying light main course. With its warm, autumnal flavors of maple, cinnamon, and pear, it’s the ideal elegant dish to include in your Thanksgiving menu!
What is poached pear salad?
This poached pear salad is an elegant and flavorful dish that combines warm, spiced fruit with fresh, crisp greens. It features pears gently cooked in a sweet, aromatic liquid of maple syrup, brandy, vanilla, and cinnamon, which gives them a sophisticated depth.
The tender, flavorful pears are then served over a bed of mixed greens and topped with tangy goat cheese and crunchy candied pecans. Everything is brought together with a creamy vinaigrette made from the very same spiced poaching liquid, creating a perfectly balanced salad of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors in every bite!
Ingredients needed to make this poached pear salad
Poached Pears for Salad
- Water: The main cooking liquid for poaching the pears.
- Maple syrup: Sweetens the poaching liquid for subtle infusion in the pears.
- Brandy: Infuses the fruit with deep, warm, and sophisticated flavors.
- Vanilla: For depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon stick: Adds a delicious touch of warmth to the liquid.
- Peeled pears: I like to use Bosc or Bartlett Pears for this poached pear salad. Make sure that the pears are peeled so that the flesh can absorb all the flavors from the poaching liquid.
For the Dressing
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Creates a rich, emulsified base and balances the acidity in the dressing. A neutral oil like avocado oil can also be used.
- Champagne vinegar: You could also use white wine vinegar. The vinegar provides a sharp, clean acidity to brighten the dressing.
- Pear poaching liquid: Make sure to reserve this poaching liquid as it’s a key element to the dressing.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a sharp, tangy, and complex flavor while simultaneously creating a perfectly blended, creamy-textured dressing that doesn’t separate
- Salt and black pepper: The salt enhances all the other flavors and balances the sweetness while the pepper adds warmth.
For the Salad
- Mixed greens: Provides a fresh, crisp base for this fall-inspired salad. Spinach or butter leaf lettuce are excellent alternatives.
- Goat cheese: Use crumbled goat cheese so that you get a bite in every forkful. It’s also best to bring the cheese to room temperature for assembling the salad. The creamy and tangy flavor of the cheese pairs beautifully with the subtle sweetness and floral notes of pears, making them a perfect match!
- Candied pecans: They’ll add essential crunch and additional sweetness. You can also use regular or toasted pecans.
- Black cracked pepper: Added to the assembled salad just before serving.
How do you make this poached pear salad?
Poach the pears:
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Stir in the maple syrup, brandy, vanilla, and cinnamon stick. Add the pears, so they are submerged in the poaching water and simmer for 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow the saucepan with pears to come to room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate the pears in their poaching liquid for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.
Assemble & serve:
- Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and slice in half, removing the stem or any seeds. Then slice each half into 3 slices.
- Prepare the mixed greens and divide into small salad plates.
- Place 1/2 pear (or 3 slices) on top of the lettuce and spoon some of the dressing over top.
- Top with goat cheese crumbles and nuts.
- Sprinkle black cracked pepper over each salad plate and serve immediately.
Serving
I like to serve this poached pear salad on individual plates as a complete and satisfying light lunch, but you could also assemble and serve it in a large, wide salad bowl or serving plate.
This fall-inspired salad is perfect to pair with Thanksgiving lunch or dinner Orange Spiced Spatchcocked Turkey, Cranberry Pear Turkey Crescent Braid, Turkey Cranberry Hand Pies, or roasted chicken.
This pear and goat cheese salad also pairs beautifully with a simple and comforting bowl of Easy Pear Potato Soup, as a light and refreshing addition to Grilled Cheese Sliders, or Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers.
Drizzle any leftover poached pear salad dressing over roasted veggies, like these Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta or this Delicious Pear Quinoa Salad.
Complete your meal with this Pear Martini Cocktail or pear cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Salad storage: This fresh and crisp pear salad should not be stored for longer than 2 days as the crunchy salad ingredients will start to wilt and turn soggy.
- Dressing storage: Store the dressing in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. I prefer to keep my homemade dressings in mason jars, but any sealable jar or airtight container will work. Bring the chilled dressing to room temperature and give it a good shake or whisk before using again.
- Make ahead: It’s easiest to make the dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge. I recommend only preparing the fresh poached pear salad ingredients just before serving for the best texture with the exception of the poached pears which could be made a day or so ahead and stored in the fridge, alongside the poaching liquid.
- Salad add-ins: Salads can be so versatile, allowing you to mix and swap an array of delicious add-ins. Feel free to get creative and experiment with other varieties of nuts and seeds (like these candied maple walnuts, Cinnamon Orange Roasted Nuts, or toasted pumpkin seeds). This poached pear salad is also great with Gorgonzola or Roquefort blue cheese.
- Protein: Consider tossing the mixed greens with shredded chicken or crumbled pancetta for a dose of protein – great for a heartier lunch.
- Double the recipe: Make a double batch of this poached pear salad when serving a larger crowd.
- Uniform size matters: I like to make sure that the poached pear slices are of similar size so that the salad looks more appealing.
Have leftover poached pears? Serve them as an easy dessert alongside a scoop of ice cream or add them to your baking when whipping up treats like this Buttermilk Pear Cake.
More fruit-infused salads you may want to try:
- Mandarin Crunch Salad
- Blueberry Spinach Salad
- Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad
- Watermelon Burrata Salad
- Avocado Strawberry Steak Salad
Get the Recipe:
Poached Pear Salad
Ingredients
For the Poached Pears:
- 4 cups water
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup brandy
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 Bosc or Bartlett Pears, peeled
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pear poaching liquid
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. black pepper
For the Salad:
- 8-10 cups mixed greens
- 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature, crumbled
- ½ candied pecans, or regular toasted pecans
- Black cracked peppers
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the maple syrup, brandy, vanilla, and cinnamon stick. Add the pears, so they are submerged in the poaching water. Simmer the pears for 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow the saucepan with pears to come to room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate the pears in their poaching liquid for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Make the salad dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, poaching liquid, mustard, salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and slice in half, removing the stem or any seeds. Slice each half into 3 slices.
- Prepare the lettuce and divide into small salad plates. Place 1/2 pear (or 3 slices) on top of the lettuce. Spoon some of the dressing over top. Finish with the goat cheese crumbles and toasted chopped pecans or candied pecans.
- Add black cracked pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
