Arugula, Pear, Gorgonzola Cheese And Candied Walnut Salad (a.k.a. Friendsgiving Salad)

I’ll just cut to the chase: This is the perfect salad to make for your holiday get-togethers.

I’ve made it two years in a row now for a Friendsgiving celebration (it was requested Year Two), hence its name. I lifted the candied walnut recipe from this delish sweet potato appetizer offering I discovered last year, and thought they would be an ideal addition to the salad. Good call, me!

I don’t have much else to say about this salad except that it’s good. Really, really good. The crunchy sweet/spicy walnuts pair so well with the pear, and then the gorgonzola cheese and red onion give it a wonderfully robust flavor. I made it again recently to share with my extended family at Thanksgiving, and it was a hit there as well. In fact, I’d like some again now.

Arugula, Pear, Gorgonzola Cheese, And Candied Walnut Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients (for candied walnuts)

2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 Tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients (for dressing)

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced (feel free to adjust based on your love for garlic!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Ingredients (for salad)

7 ounces organic arugula (a full Trader Joe’s bag of arugula, for reference)
1 pear, sliced thinly
8 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly (use a mandolin if you have one!)

Directions (for candied walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Heat sugar, water, and cayenne pepper to boiling over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan, stirring occasionally. Boil and stir 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, and gently stir in walnuts until coated.
Spread nuts on prepared cookie sheet and bake 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. (Watch carefully — these can burn quickly!)
Remove from cookie sheet and set aside to cool completely, then crumble to separate into small-ish pieces.

Directions (for dressing)

Place balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve sugar.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Place dressing in jar with lid and shake well before dressing salad.

Directions (for salad)

Place arugula in large salad bowl, and top with cheese, candied walnuts, and red onion. Top with pear slices.
Just before serving, add dressing to the bowl and toss well to coat. Enjoy!