Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Name: Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
Ingredients: 175-200 gm. mixed salad leaves (lettuce, cress/watercress, rocket, iceberg or any other salad leaves of choice). You can even add a few whole coriander or mint leaves.; 2-3 average sized pears; 50 gm. walnut or pecan nut halves; 150-200 gm. Stilton cheese, crumbled roughly; <b>Dressing</b>; 2 tbsp. Olive oil; 1 tbsp. good balsamic or other type of vinegar or fresh lemon juice; 1 full tsp. of whole grain made mustard; 1 1/2 - 2 tsp. <a href="recipe_display.php?id=10330">Chat Masala</a>. If you do not have this, use salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.; Method:; Roughly break walnut halves, place on a plate and roast in microwave on full power for 3 minutes. You can dry-fry them in a pan too. Keep aside.; Wash and spin or towel dry the salad leaves. Keep aside.

Nashpati and Blue Cheese Salad

Mitun Gupta

MainStarterVegetarian

This is a quick, simple and refreshing salad for when fresh pears are in season. Try it with other fruits like fresh peaches or nectarines or seedless grapes. Here, I have used a slightly spicy vinaigrette, but you can use any vinaigrette of choice.

Serves 6

Edited July 2023

Ingredients

175-200 gm. mixed salad leaves (lettuce, cress/watercress, rocket, iceberg or any other salad leaves of choice). You can even add a few whole coriander or mint leaves.
2-3 average sized pears
50 gm. walnut or pecan nut halves
150-200 gm. Stilton cheese, crumbled roughly
Dressing
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. good balsamic or other type of vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 full tsp. of whole grain made mustard
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. Chat Masala. If you do not have this, use salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Method:
Roughly break walnut halves, place on a plate and roast in microwave on full power for 3 minutes. You can dry-fry them in a pan too. Keep aside.
Wash and spin or towel dry the salad leaves. Keep aside.

Instructions

Roughly break walnut halves, place on a plate and roast in microwave on full power for 3 minutes. You can dry-fry them in a pan too. Keep aside.
Wash and spin or towel dry the salad leaves. Keep aside.
Quarter pears, peel, core and chop roughly into bite size pieces. Place in a microwave steamer and stem for 3-6 minutes. Time depends on the variety of pears. They should be heated through, but not soggy. If you do not have a microwave oven, you can simmer them in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and then drain.
Place all dressing ingredients in a screw top jar and shake until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep aside.
To serve; Divide your salad leaves equally between 6 salad plates.
Divide pear pieces in 6 portions and spread each portion on top of lettuce in each plate.
Divide walnuts into 6 portions and scatter each portion on top of pears.
Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of dressing on top of each salad plate.
Serve immediately, before pears get cold.

Notes

Also see Salad Selection.

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