Blue Cheese, Pear & Walnut Salad
Bold, creamy blue cheese and sweet ripe pear are one of those pairings that simply make sense — each one bringing out the best in the other. Tossed with toasted walnuts, peppery leaves and a light Irish honey dressing, this salad is as elegant as it is effortless. It works beautifully as a starter, a light lunch, or alongside a cheeseboard for something a little different.
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- DIFFICULTY: EASY
- 15 MINS
Ingredients
Serves: 4
FOR THE salad:
- 120g mixed leaves (rocket, watercress, baby spinach)
- 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
- 100g Young Buck blue cheese, crumbled
- 80g walnuts, toasted
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh chives, roughly chopped
FOR THE honey and dressing:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Irish honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper
Method
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Arrange the salad leaves on a large plate or shallow bowl. Layer over the pear slices and red onion. Crumble the blue cheese generously over the top and scatter over the walnuts.
Drizzle with the honey dressing just before serving and finish with fresh chives.
Tip: Add the dressing gradually and toss gently — blue cheese is bold and the salad needs only a light coating.
