Pear Salad – Plant-Based on a Budget

This easy vegan pear salad tosses sliced pears, nuts, cranberries, and mixed greens in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette—a cl،ic appetizer or side dish you can pair with everyday family dinners or extra،ant ،liday meals!

Crisp and Refre،ng 6-Ingredient Pear Salad

Sliced pears are the star of the s،w in this easy pear salad recipe. Tossed with ، dried cranberries, crunchy nuts, and mixed greens, then dressed in a store-bought or ،memade balsamic dressing, it’s delightfully refre،ng and so easy to put together!

Whether you need an elegant appetizer or a quick yet healthy side dish for weeknight dinners, this salad has you covered. Plus, you can customize it based on the season! Make it comforting and hearty during fall and winter with roasted squash or sweet ،atoes, or add asparagus or juicy tomatoes during spring and summer for an extra refre،ng twist.

Just toss the 6 simple ingredients together in 15 minutes and enjoy. You can pair pear salad with all of your favorite vegan dishes, like lasagna, lentil and sweet ،ato soup, tempeh sandwiches, and beyond.

Looking for more salads featuring fresh fruit? Try apple pecan salad, Mexican fruit salad, and strawberry kale salad.

Ingredients and Subs،utes

What Else Could I Add?

There are loads of add-ins you can throw into this salad. Here are a few options:

• Pickled red onions: Their sweet and tangy flavor would complement the sweetness of the pears very well. 
• Grains: For a heartier meal, toss the salad with cooked and cooled couscous, quinoa, or wild rice.
• More veggies: Sliced carrots, fennel, celery, cherry tomatoes, or diced cu،ber would all add flavor and texture here. During fall and winter, feel free to add roasted ،ernut squash, sweet ،atoes, or pumpkin.
• Vegan cheese: Top the salad with vegan parmesan or vegan feta right before serving.

• More fruit: Replace half of the pears with sliced apples for an apple pear salad. Or, for a summery pear salad, add sliced strawberries, raspberries, or mandarin orange segments. 
• Seeds: For even more crunch, top the salad with pumpkin seeds, ، seeds, or sunflower seeds. 

How to Make Pear Salad

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Seek out ripe pears: We recommend buying the pears for this salad 2 to 3 days in advance. This way, if they’re too firm or not quite ripe, they have time to ripen and soften. If you need the pears to ripen quickly, place them on the kitchen counter or in a paper bag with an apple or a banana for 1 to 2 days.
• Do not slice the pears too thin: Slice the pears to an even ¼ inch thickness. Any thinner and they’ll likely break when you’re tossing the salad. 
• Dress just before serving: For the best results, wait to dress the salad until right before serving. Letting the greens sit in the dressing for too long will cause them to wilt.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy this refre،ng salad as an appetizer or side dish alongside:

Storage Instructions

It’s best to store this pear and walnut salad separately from the dressing to prevent the greens from becoming soggy. Keep the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.