Roasted Pear, Pecan and Pomegranate Salad

Shake up your salad plate with this super delicious combination of caramelized roasted pears, crunchy maple-toasted walnuts, and tangy pomegranate seeds which burst with juicy freshness! With Bosc pears perfectly in season, this salad rocks your weeknight or holiday table!

what you need:

• 2 medium Bosc pears, sliced in half lengthwise and cored, skin and stems left on
• Olive oil, for brushing
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup raw, unsalted pecans
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese
• 3 cups mixed greens lettuce

For the dressing:

• 1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly brush with olive oil to coat. Lightly brush cut-side of pears lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut-side up on baking sheet and bake about 45 minutes, or until caramelized and fork-tender. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad dressing. Bring pomegranate juice to a simmer in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Simmer, uncovered, approximately 7 minutes, or until reduced by half. Chill in refrigerator until cold. Combine pomegranate juice, olive oil, honey, champagne vinegar, orange zest, and salt and pepper in a food processor.
3. Toast the pecans. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Line a separate baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with canola oil. Toss pecans with maple syrup on baking sheet and bake about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. To assemble the salads, evenly spread lettuce amongst each of four serving plates. Place half of a pear on the beds of lettuce on each plate. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons maple-toasted pecans, 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, and 1 tablespoon bleu cheese. Drizzle with dressing as desired.

YIELD: 4 servings