Fresh Pear Walnut Cranberry Salad

Sweet, sharp and crunchy, this fresh pear walnut cranberry salad is the perfect accompaniment to any rich dish, especially one made with blue cheese.

A couple of days ago I shared a recipe for a potato chip crust savory cheesecake and promised to add the side salad soon. Here it is!

Fresh Pear Walnut Cranberry Salad

This recipe is easily doubled or even trebled. Serve it with your favorite quiche or my savory cheesecake.

Ingredients
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons walnut vinegar (or sub white balsamic)
2 tablespoons canola or other light salad oil
1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
3 tablespoons thinly sliced onion (1/2 a small one or about 20g)
3 medium pears
small handful dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup or about 8-9 walnut halves
Optional: watercress – I added some in at the last minute before serving, so that it didn’t wilt before we could eat it.

Method
Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and add in the onions. Leave them to marinate for about 10 minutes. This accomplishes two goals: to mellow the sharp burn of the onions and to infuse the dressing with a delightfully mild onion flavor.

Core and cut your pears into thin slices, stirring them into the dressing as you do, which will stop them turning brown.

Add in the cranberries and walnuts and stir well. Refrigerate, covered with cling film, until ready to serve. Toss with a few handfuls of watercress just before serving, if desired.

Enjoy!

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