DIY Gourmet Pear, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad

One thing I love about Christmas is the parties.  Every year we go to catered parties and company dinners and get to sample all varieties of amazing and delicious gourmet salads.  The salads are so amazing that I wish I could have them more than once a year.  That’s why I came up with this super simple DIY gourmet pear, pecan and blue cheese salad that combined all my favorite flavors from the fancy restaurant salads!

This salad is fast, easy to make and is new take on your normal salad for lunch or dinner parties!  It can also be pretty low in calories if you are using a 0 calorie balsamic vinaigrette!

One more reason?  Pears are in season as we slide into autumn.  Be sure to give this salad a try while pears are most affordable and easy to find.

Ingredients:

• Spring Mix Salad (I buy Organic Girl 50/50 mix in a big tub).
• Fresh or canned pears
• Blue Cheese crumbles
• Pecans
• Balsamic Vinaigrette for light drizzle

Step 1: Toast your pecans in a skillet on the stove top on low to medium heat for about a minute, stirring regularly to keep the pecans from burning.  Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.

Step 2: Create a bed of lettuce on your plate.

Step 3: Slice pears and evenly distribute them your bed of lettuce.

Step 4: Sprinkle on your toasted pecans.

Step 5: Crumble some blue cheese over the pecans.

Step 6: Drizzle the salad with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette.

Step 7: Serve and enjoy this fresh pear, pecan and blue cheese salad!

If you enjoy fruit and nut topped salads like the one above, take a look at my Strawberry Feta Mixed Green Salad that is just as tasty and low-calorie as pear one!

Kim Anderson

Kim’s is the party planning, cupcake loving, celebration catalyst behind the Thrifty Little Mom Blog. Kim was a pro event planner for over 7 years before she became a full-time blogger. Kim is the author of: Live, Save, Spend, Repeat: The Life You Want with the Money You Have. She’s been featured on Time.com, Money.com, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day and more! Kim aims to inspire you to create parties, celebrations and gatherings that everyone loves!