Pear Carpaccio Recipe
I made this salad on a whim and it took 5 minutes, was so impressive and beautiful and DELICIOUS. I know you love some healthful recipes on your Thanksgiving table to balance the rich ones, so I thought I would share this in anticipation of the holiday. It’s also so great for a quick dinner party side dish. Check the notes at the bottom of the recipe for swaps. Also, if you need help with Thanksgiving, I highly recommend my Thanksgiving ebook for $15. It has over 100 recipes and loads of tips and tricks to help you execute the best holiday with the least amount of stress!!
Why You’ll Love This Pear Carpaccio
- It’s nutritious and delicious
- Vegetarian (and vegan adaptable)
- It’s a light and fresh winter salad if you’re not in the mood for a warm dish
- It takes 5 minutes to make
- It’s a great combo of salty and sweet
Ingredients
- Pears – it’s pear season! Pears are sweet, refreshing and full of antioxidants.
- Arugula – I love using arugula in salads for a bight and peppery flavor which contrasts perfectly with fruit.
- Nuts – I used walnuts here, but you can choose any nut you like! Shaved almonds or chopped pistachios would be good here too, as would toasted pumpkin seeds if you have a nut allergy.
- Pomegranate seeds – it’s also pomegranate season! Oh how I love this delightful fruit, but it can be confusing how to remove the crunchy, juicy seeds from the fruit. Watch this video where I demonstrate my favorite method for how to do it.
- Dressing – use your favorite EVOO and balsamic vinegar for the dressing with some salt and pepper – we are keeping it simple.
- Cheese – I used feta because Hubs won’t eat blue cheese, but blue cheese, parmesan or manchego would also be fabulous.
How to Make Pear Carpaccio
- Wash 3 pears and thinly slice (you can also use a mandoline like I did).
- Arrange the pear slices slightly overlapping on a large serving plate.
- In a large bowl, add 6 ounces of washed arugula. Add a pinch of flaky salt and black pepper and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss gently (I use my hands).
- Transfer the dressed arugula on top of the sliced pears. Top with pomegranate seeds, crushed nuts, and cheese of choice.
Tips
- Wash your arugula and pears ahead of time.
- The pears should be ripe and fragrant but not soft. They need to be firm enough to slice thinly.
- Check out this video for how to easily seed pomegranates!
- Might be delicious with hot honey on top! Give it a try!
Substitutions
- Arugula for kale (make sure to massage the kale with the dressing well!) or mixed baby greens
- Pomegranate seeds for dried cranberries or your favorite dried fruit
- Feta for blue cheese, parmesan, manchego, or a plant-based feta (you can also omit the cheese altogether for a vegan version)
Pear Carpaccio
Ingredients
- 3 firm but ripe pears I used Bartlett
- 6 ounces arugula
- Flaky salt and black pepper to taste
- Approximately 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Approximately 1.5-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup walnuts chopped (or any nut you prefer)
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta*
- Optional: hot honey
Instructions
- Wash 3 pears and thinly slice (you can also use a mandoline).
- Arrange the pear slices slightly overlapping on a large serving plate.
- In a large bowl, add 6 ounces of arugula. Add flaky salt and black pepper and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss gently.
- Transfer the dressed arugula on top of the sliced pears. Top with pomegranate seeds, crushed nuts, and cheese of choice.
Notes
Other recipes you may like:
Dandelion and Radicchio Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Fall Market Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Savory Granola
Fall Salad with Apples and Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe
Endive and Pear Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan Recipe
If you give this pear carpaccio a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes, updates and things I’m loving lately. If you enjoy this recipe, chcek out my online class! Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!
4 Comments
Just made this and took to a party where everyone loved it. In spite of tossing the pears in lemon juice and olive oil, they turned brown pretty quickly. That was my only complaint. Would love to know how others avoided that issue.
I think it depends on how far in advance you want to prepare the pears. I wouldn’t attempt this more than an hour in advance. Otherwise you can have the sliced pears in water and then drain and pat dry before assembling. It would probably take the same amount of time to just slice right before serving….. otherwise I have brushed with olive oil an hour in advance and that was fine.
Hi, just curious, would you use an aged balsamic for this salad dressing? Thanks in advance.
sure you can!