Rocket Pear Salad

Savory and sweet, this Rocket Pear Salad is a simple and healthy recipe. Perfect as a side dish or light meal with arugula, pear, honey glazed walnuts, parmesan and a balsamic vinaigrette. So delicious and easy, this is sure to become a Fall favorite.

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There was a time that I thought eating homemade salads was like eating weeds.

I loved salads, but boy was I a salad snob about making them at home.

That changed in a big way.

Somewhere around the time of being influenced by my friend’s salad creations and my commitment to better quality ingredients, I fell in love with my own salads.

I loved all the possible flavor combinations, how satisfying eating a salad for dinner was and how much better I felt. 

Fast forward about 15 years and I am still a hard core salad lover.

Honest confession, my biggest obsession and the meal I still eat the most after all these years is a huge salad with my Simple Herbed Lemon Vinaigrette. 

It shocks me that I still LOVE eating salads with this dressing so many nights of the week. 

However, switching up my selection with delicious recipes like this Rocket Pear Salad helps to keep the boredom from ever setting in. 

 

What is Rocket Salad?

Rocket Salad is a salad made of rocket leaves. Rocket Leaves, also know as arugula, are a cruciferous vegetable that works well in all kinds of salads that are dressed with a vinaigrette. The leaves have a peppery and ever so slightly spicy taste, but not worry, they are not hot. 

Arugula Nutrition 

Arugula leaves are a highly nutritionally dense vegetable packing a punch with calcium, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and vitamin A. In addition, arugula has been shown to have many health benefits. 

How To Make Rocket Pear Salad 

To make this incredibly simple salad, follow these steps:

1. Whisk together oil, balsamic, dijon, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Cut onion and pear.
3. Add to vinaigrette the arugula, cranberries, parmesan, onion, pear and walnuts
4. Toss well. 

Rocket Salad Ingredients 

What makes this salad so incredible is the balance of savory to sweetness and the crisp to buttery textures of ingredients. 

• extra virgin olive oil
• coarse dijon mustard
• balsamic vinegar
• fresh garlic
• sea salt
• black pepper
• red onion
• dried sweetened cranberries
• arugula leaves
• shaved parmesan
• Bosc pear
• Candied Walnuts

How To Toss a Salad Easily 

The easiest way I have found to toss a large salad is to whisk the vinaigrette together in the bottom of a large mixing bowl and then toss using these tongs. 

Additional Ingredient Options

Here are some more ideas of other possible flavor combinations. 

• lemon juice
• shallots
• dried cherries
• green apple
• fuji apple
• strawberries
• feta
• goat cheese
• bacon
• slivered almonds
• smoked salmon

What To Serve With Rocket Pear Salad

Best Ribeye Steaks

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Crispy Baked Rosemary Potatoes