Winter Salad with Pears and Cashews

This Winter Salad with Pears and Cashews is one of my all-time favorites!

I had it for the first time many years ago at a baby shower and was immediately smitten. It was love at first bite.

Winter Salad with Pears and Cashews

This is the perfect salad for that time when most of the fruit is looking pretty dull in the stores but pears are at their peak!

In fact, let’s talk for a minute about pears!

Did you know that pears actually ripen better OFF of the tree? They are picked in the fall and then often put in cold storage to ripen slowly – which is why they are at their best in the winter.

It can be hard to determine if a pear is ripe because they don’t all change color.

They also ripen from the inside out so by the time they are soft to the touch they can actually be over-ripe.

Try squeezing up at the top (the narrow part) to determine if your pear is ripe. If it yields to gentle pressure the whole pear is probably ripe.

A close up of a pile of pears.

Here are the items you will need for this recipe:

  • Lettuce: I always use Romaine, but you could use spring mix. I think it would also taste good with spinach, but you miss the crunch that Romaine gives this salad. The recipe calls for 8 – 10 cups of Romaine which perfectly fills my blue salad bowl.
  • Pears: 2 good ripe pears of any variety.
  • Apple: Use a sweet, crisp eating apple like a honey crisp.
  • White Cheddar: You will see that most versions of this recipe call for Swiss cheese. I think that Swiss tends to overpower the rest of the salad. In my opinion, a sharp, (but not extra-sharp) white cheddar provides the perfect bite.
  • Cashews: You don’t need whole cashews for this recipe. Just roasted halves and pieces are fine and I use lightly salted.
  • Dried Cranberries: I usually use Craisins, but you could try another brand of dried cranberries. Just know that if you use an unsweetened variety you might want to increase the amount of sugar in the dressing.
  • Sugar
  • Lemon Juice: Fresh squeezed really makes a difference here!
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Minced red onion: The onion adds a delicious little kick to balance the sweetness of the salad.
  • Olive Oil
  • Poppy Seeds: OK, I’ll be honest, I often leave out the poppy seeds out of this recipe. They do provide a little satisfying pop and they look really pretty in the dressing, but I don’t find that they add much to the taste of the salad.

Once you have the ingredients together this is an easy salad to throw together.

Add all the salad ingredients together, shake the dressing ingredients in a mason jar, pour some of that over the salad, toss gently, and serve.

TIP: Don’t start with all of the dressing poured over the salad. If you don’t like heavy dressing it might make a little more than you need. Just add a bit at a time.

TIP: If you will not eat all the salad you can dress each serving individually.

A winter salad with pears and cashews. In the photo you can also see shredded cheese, cranberries in the salad. The dressing is in a mason jar on the side.

Delicious Winter Salad with Pears and Cashews

A salad that uses sweet and delicious winter pears mixed with romaine lettuce, apples, cheese, and cashews tossed in a sweet lemony dressing.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 8-10 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2 pears peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 apples unpeeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup shredded white cheddar
  • 1 cup cashews, halves and pieces, lightly salted
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Instructions
 

  • Wash and dry romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces, place 8 – 10 cups in your salad bowl
  • Add cut up pears and apples
  • Add shredded white cheddar, cashews, and dried cranberries
  • For the dressing put sugar, lemon juice, minced onion, mustard, olive oil, and poppy seeds in a jar with a lid or in a bowl to be whisked
  • Whisk or shake the dressing well
  • Pour the preferred amount of dressing over the salad and toss gently until ingredients are coated. (You can also dress each serving individually)
  • Serve and enjoy!!
Keyword Fruit, Salad

This recipe is EXCELLENT with a pork tenderloin which has been cooked with a mustard-y glaze.

We also have like to have it for lunch with some rotisserie chicken thrown on top.

In the summer you might be interested in trying our delightful cucumber and tomato salad!

Enjoy!