Is it just us or does anyone else start craving some bright, fresh veg during the holiday season? Like, we are so down for all the comfort food, but by the time we’ve been appetizer-ing, extra butter-ing, and heavy cream-ing for what sometimes feels like two solid months, salad-ing starts to sound kinda nice, you know? At the very least for a textural change. Enter this pear and burrata salad. Topped with punchy pomegranate seeds and crunchy pistachios, this winterized version of our popular peach and burrata salad is a total knockout for the holiday season and beyond.
How to Create the Perfect Pear & Burrata Salad
- Start with some basic-in-a-good-way croutons. Make them yourself (easy, delicious, do it!) or don’t, either way works.
- Whisk up a classic red wine vinaigrette. Don’t have red wine vinegar? Apple cider vinegar works too.
- Build a base of greens. You’re looking for something soft and mild: baby kale, baby spinach, or baby chard are favorites.
- Layer, then layer some more. Thinly sliced bartlett pear gets artfully clumped with luxurious tears of burrata nestled in close by.
- Add in the texture. Pom seeds and pistachios are up next for that crunchy bite and gorgeous pop of color.
- Season, season, season. All food deserves to be seasoned properly, including salad. Flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper do the trick here.
Serve This With…
Basically any holiday meal. This salad is stunning and totally belongs in a bust-out-the-Christmas-china Christmas Eve feast. It’s also a breeze to throw together and barely takes more time to pull together than a bagged salad mix, making it a doable addition to a casual wintery soup + bread lunch situation. It’s dinner party worthy and take-to-a-potluck ready. Truly a wintertime work horse.
More Ways to Get in Those Greens
- Simple Kale Salad with Pine Nuts & Parm
- Nomad East Wedge Salad
- Fried Chicken Salad
- Blueberry Pecan Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Pear & Burrata Salad
Ingredients
Croutons
- Mini loaf of sourdough
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon jam or honey
- kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
Salad
- 10 oz baby kale, baby spinach, baby chard, or any combination of the three
- 2 large green bartlett pears, thinly sliced
- 8 oz burrata, drained
- Extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup shelled roasted pistachios, chopped
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Flaky salt
Instructions
Croutons
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Tear the sourdough into 2-inch pieces and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the torn bread and sprinkle a pinch or two of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper on top. Use your hands to toss the bread in the oil and salt & pepper, gently wiping the bread into the oil on the pan, making sure all the oil is absorbed. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and set aside.*
Vinaigrette
- In a small glass jar or bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, jam, and salt and pepper to taste. Taste vinaigrette and add more salt and/or pepper if needed and set aside.
Salad
- On a large serving platter or serving bowl, arrange the salad toppings. First lay down the greens, fan pieces of the sliced pears and lay them in scattered clusters on top of the greens, then tear the burrata into golf ball-sized pieces and lay them in empty spaces beside the pears.
- Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over the tops of the exposed burrata. Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette on top of the salad (you may not need all of it). Scatter half of the croutons on top of the salad and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
- Add a few cracks of fresh cracked pepper and flaky sea salt to the top of the salad for garnish and serve immediately.
Notes
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