Pear and Feta Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing with juicy pears, feta cheese, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, and a delicious vinaigrette dressing for a refreshing Fall salad. Perfect as a side dish or a meal in itself.
With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, everyone’s on the lookout for the ultimate side dishes. But although hearty vegetable, potato or noodle casseroles are what first come to mind this time of the year, a refreshing medley of greens can also be a great option.
This pear and feta salad with poppy seed dressing is the best holiday salad and deserves a spot on your table. Not only is it bursting with fresh, bright flavors but it’s also loaded with winter favorites such as pears and dried cranberries.
This green salad is so quick and easy to pull together, the most work involved is making the poppy seed dressing which really takes but a few minutes. It’s such a simple dressing, you’ll be pleasantly amazed at how well it compliments the sweet, tangy, salty, and crunchy goodness of the salad!
You can make the candied walnuts from scratch or just pick up a bag at your neighborhood supermarket.
Poppyseed Dressing
In a Blender
- In a blender, combine sugar, vinegar, yellow mustard, salt and pepper and process for about 10 seconds.
- Set blender on high, and then gradually add vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream.
- Transfer into a container and stir in poppy seeds.
In a Jar
- In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Cover jar with the lid and shake vigorously until well combined
In a Bowl
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk until well-blended.
I love to enjoy this delicious salad meat-free as I find the cheese, nuts, and fruit hearty and satisfying enough but feel free to toss in any leftover grilled chicken or steak if you have any on hand.
For more salad recipes, try my Ultimate Taco Salad or Berry Chicken and Spinach Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 package spring salad mix
- 2 pears, sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup candied walnuts
For the Poppy Seed Dressing
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Divide spring mix between 4 salad serving plates.
- Top with sliced pears, candied walnuts, and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with feta cheese and drizzle with poppy seed salad dressing.
For the Poppy Seed Dressing
- In a blender, combine vinegar, sugar, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper and process for about 10 seconds. Set blender on high, and then gradually add vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream. Transfer into a container and stir in poppy seeds.
- Or in a jar, combine vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper into a tightly-sealed jar. Shake vigorously until well combined.
- Or in a large bowl, combine vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well-blended.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Maria says
Pear and feta are such a great combo, but also pretty rare to come by! This was delicious.