Endive and Pear Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • Dressing:
  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
  • 2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons raw honey
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil (or 3 Tablespoons walnut oil and 3 Tablespoons olive oil)
  • Salad:
  • 3 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and sliced crosswise, about ¼-inch slices
  • 2 pears (such as Bartlett), ripe but firm, cored, cut into 16 crosswise slices or chopped
  • ½ cup toasted walnut halves, chopped coarsely (or just leave them raw)
  • 1 head butter lettuce, leaves left whole
  • Shaved Parmesan to taste*
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil.
  2. Place the endive, pears and walnuts in a large bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Arrange a few whole leaves of butter lettuce on each of 6 plates. Mound the endive salad on the lettuce leaves and top with a few shavings of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
*Or use crumbled Gorgonzola or Roquefort which are perfect with pears, but quite strong. If you decide to leave out the cheese altogether, finish the salad with a pinch of flaky salt.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/endive-pear-salad-walnuts-parmesan/