Lovely caramelised edges on the sweet potato and marinating the kale to tenderise them are two tricks that make this salad tick. Tamarind and maple syrup teamed in the dressing is another – an unusual combo that works amazingly well here.

Find the recipe on page 192 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

• Read the cookbook overview

• Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here

• Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

The post Devour – Maple Sweet Potato Salad With Tamarind Dressing appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a pasta salad no one can stop eating. Starring a ranch dressing made with avocado rather than mayonnaise, it’s juicy and creamy with fabulous avocado flavour in Every. Single. Bite. Officially my (current) favourite avocado recipe!!!

Fully loaded with chicken, bacon and egg, it’s an excellent work day lunch, a show-off salad for gatherings, and guess what? It stays green for days!

That Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing…..

This recipe is all about the creamy avocado ranch dressing. It is Great – with a capital “G”. Regular readers know when I capitalise, I mean it! 😂

It’s not just about making a dressing that’s traditionally made with loads of mayonnaise healthier. This is about making an avocado-forward salad into a big, juicy pasta salad.

Sure, we could just throw chunks of avocado in and call it a day.

But if we make a dressing instead, we can get avocado into every single bite, smothering everything, making this pasta salad creamy and gorgeous… with the added bonus that it’s HEALTHIER.

Win, win, win!

Oh wait. A caveat. I do use a bit of mayonnaise. 😇 But just 1/3 cup compared to 2 1/2 cups of other “stuff” in the dressing. It gives the dressing a smidge of luxuriousness in the mouthfeel, but can easily be substituted with yogurt or sour cream!

And an up close proof of creaminess:

This avocado pasta salad is fully loaded…. but doesn’t have to be

This recipe I’m sharing today comes fully loaded with seasoned chicken, egg, tomato, crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes, which makes it a big satisfying meal.

However, you could strip back on all of these, or dial it down to just vegetables to make it either a vegetarian main or a side dish for dinners on hot summer days. Customise it as you wish!!

Ingredients for Avocado Pasta Salad

Here’s what goes in this avocado pasta salad. Firstly – the creamy avocado dressing!

1. Avocado Ranch Dressing

Here’s what you need for the avocado ranch dressing.

For those unfamiliar with Ranch Dressing, it’s a creamy buttermilk and mayonnaise based dressing flavoured with onion, garlic and herbs that is wildly popular in the US. Sometimes it’s made with dried herbs but fresh is so much better. You see versions made with different types of herbs – dill, coriander/cilantro, mint, chives and parsley. For me, there’s no question – dill is the best with avocado. So that’s what I’ve gone for!

• Avocados – You will need 2 ripe ones though you may not quite use both of them as for this recipe, I specifically ask you to measure out 1 1/3 cups of avocado flesh. Why? Because, irritatingly, avocados don’t all grow exactly the same size. Ridiculous, right?? 😂

• Buttermilk – An ingredient traditionally used to make Ranch Dressing, it has a consistency like pouring cream but is slightly tangy. Substitute: yogurt and milk (equal parts). It’s a near perfect substitute, I tested it especially because buttermilk is not a common ingredient used here in Australia. So there’s no need to get it especially for this recipe!

• Mayonnaise (just a bit!) – Another ingredient traditionally used in ranch though usually it’s a primary ingredient whereas it’s a minor ingredient in this avocado ranch dressing. Why bother? Because it adds a more luxurious mouthfeel to the dressing which really makes it so, so good! Feel free to skip it – just substitute with sour cream or yogurt.

• Fresh dill – While I can offer substitutions for the buttermilk and mayonnaise, I really urge you to use fresh dill! The bright freshness really adds a special touch to this dressing. However, if you don’t have (or don’t like??) dill, coriander/cilantro or chives make excellent alternatives. It’s a different flavour of course, but these herbs are also used in various version of ranch dressing so they are on point. Dill is just my personal preference.

• Lemon juice – For a much needed balance of tang plus also it keeps the avocado dressing green!

• Garlic – Traditional ranch dressing typically uses dried garlic powder which adds a sort of earthy garlic flavour. For this avocado version, I preferred fresh garlic.

• Onion powder – While I opted for fresh garlic, I stuck with the traditional onion powder as I really love the smooth onion flavour it adds into the dressing and very much makes this taste like ranch dressing. Try not to skip it!

2. The add-ins

Remember what I mentioned above: you can dial it back or substitute. This recipe is all about the dressing!

• Seasoned chicken – I wanted to go all-out with this pasta salad so I cook a chicken breast seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper. Substitute with plain poached chicken breast, any other cooked chicken or proteins (tuna, shrimp/prawns!), or chop/shred leftovers from a store bought or homemade roast chicken.

• Eggs – Hard-boiled (9 minutes). Extra protein as well as lovely pops of colour!

• Celery – For a touch of fresh crunch, reminiscent of classic creamy Macaroni Salad. Highly recommended for a touch of texture.

• Bacon – Do I need to do any convincing here to include this in your pasta salad??😂

• Dill – Yes! More fresh dill! It really does give this pasta salad that special touch that makes it memorable.

• Cherry tomatoes – Lovely pops of juiciness and colour.

• Red onion – Just 1/4 of a red onion, finely sliced, for a touch of much-needed freshness in this big jumble of goodness.

• Pasta – Oh yes! Don’t forget pasta, like I almost did!! I’ve gone for spirals here but feel free to use your shape of choice. Penne, ziti, macaroni/elbow pasta, bow ties, rigatoni. Just avoid the smaller pastas like risoni/orzo, orecchiette (make this instead), alphabet, dinosaur, and other novelty shape pastas (in case you’re channelling the child within 😂).

How to make Creamy Ranch Avocado Pasta Salad

Fundamentally, you just blitz up the avocado dressing ingredients, cook the pasta, then toss everything together. Easy!

1. Avocado Ranch Dressing

1. Scoop out flesh – Scoop out the flesh of the avocado using a spoon.

2. Measure – Then smush it into cups to measure out 1 1/3 cups. Because you got lovely ripe avocados, this should be effortless! 😇 We’re measuring the avocado flesh to ensure we use the right amount. Because avocados are not all the same size – sooo annoying!

3. Blitz – Place the avocado flesh and all the other dressing ingredients in a tall container that fits the head of your stick blender (ironically, I use my Nutribullet jug!) then blitz until smooth. It’s quick – maybe 10 seconds? Feel free to use a food processor instead, just scrape down the sides as needed.

4. Creamy dressing – Stick your finger in and have a taste of your lovely creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing! Also use this as a chance to tweak the flavour if you want. Add a bit more lemon if you want more tang, more salt if your palette errs on the salty side. Etc!

2. Baked seasoned chicken

As I mention above, you can keep it simple and use store-bought roast chicken or just poach a chicken breast. But if you want to go all-in for a really great pasta salad, here’s how to make the seasoned chicken breast I use!

I opted to cook the chicken in the oven because I can cook the bacon at the same time. And – no stove splatter!

1. Pound the chicken using a meat mallet or rolling pin to 1.5cm / 2 cm even thickness.

2. Season – Drizzle with oil then sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper on both sides.

3. Bake for 12 minutes at 220°C/430°F (200°C fan-forced) or until the internal temperature reaches 67°C / 153°F.

4. Cut – Rest for 5 minutes then slice.

3. Crispy baked bacon

For convenience, I cooked the bacon in the oven because I can cook the chicken and bacon at the same time. Bonus: no stove splatter to deal with. Handy!

1. Rack on tray – Lay the bacon on a rack set over a tray. The rack prevents the bacon from swimming in its own fat on the tray, and makes the bacon crisper.

2. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and pretty crispy. The bacon will get crispier as it cools.

4. Boiled eggs

For pasta salads, I like to use eggs which have yolks that are soft set ie. Cooked enough so you can cut through the yolk cleanly but it’s not “powdery” like it is when it’s fully hard boiled.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Fridge-cold eggs in boiling water – Bring the water to a full boil. Then carefully lower fridge-cold eggs into the water using a slotted spoon. Lower the stove slightly so the water is still rippling and the eggs are just moving around gently in the water. If you rapid boil, the shells will crack!

   9 minutes – Start the timer and cook for 9 minutes.

2. Peel in cold water – Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon into a large bowl or sink full of cold water (ice water is best, but I never waste ice on eggs!). Leave for 5 minutes or so until cool enough to handle then peel IN the water. It’s easier. 😊

5. Toss!

OK! Everything prepared, now the best part: tossing it all together. (Wait – that’s totally wrong, the best part is EATING it!).

1. BIG bowl – Put all the pasta salad ingredients except the eggs in a very big bowl then toss until it’s all coated in that gorgeous avocado ranch dressing. (PS. I emphasise BIG bowl for good reason).

2. Add eggs at the end then gently toss just to disperse.

And we are DONE! Time to eat! And just think – it keeps so well, you get to enjoy this for days and days!!

I’ve eaten so much of this in the past couple of weeks. It makes so much! And – true to its name – I CAN’T STOP EATING IT.

I really hope you try it. In the vast world of pasta salads, this is definitely a stand out! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Recipe video above. This is a pasta salad no one can stop eating. Starring a ranch dressing made with avocado rather than mayonnaise, it's juicy and creamy with fabulous avocado flavour in Every. Single. Bite. Officially my (current) favourite avocado recipe!

Fully loaded with chicken, bacon and egg, it's an excellent work day lunch, a big-batch show-off salad for gatherings, and guess what? It stays green for days!

Course Mains, Pasta, Salad meal, Side Dish

Cuisine Western

Keyword avocado pasta, cold pasta salad

Servings 10 – 12 people

Calories 522cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 500 g / 1 lb spiral pasta (or other of choice)
• 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt (for cooking water)

Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing:

• 1 1/3 cups avocado (smush in cup measures, ~ 1 1/2 avocados, Note 1)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (sub yogurt + milk, Note 2)
• 1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise (just a bit! Note 3)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (sub cider vinegar)
• 1 1/2 garlic cloves , finely grated or minced
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup dill , finely chopped (Note 4)

Seasoned Chicken (or use any cooked chicken):

• 2 x 250g/8oz chicken breasts , skinless boneless
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Add-ins (or use your own!):

• 250 g / 8 oz streaky bacon
• 6 eggs
• 250 g / 8 oz cherry tomato , halved
• 1/4 red onion , very finely sliced
• 1 celery stem , finely sliced 0.5 cm / 1/5″
• 1/4 cup dill , finely chopped (Note 4)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Chicken & crispy bacon:

• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan-forced).
• Bacon: Place bacon slices on a rack set on an oven tray. Bake 20 minutes or until deep golden and crispy, then remove from the oven and let it cool – it will get crispier. Then chop into 1 cm / 1/3" pieces.
• Pound chicken: Cover chicken with baking paper then pound to 1.5 cm / 3/5" even thickness using a meat mallet, rolling pin or cast iron pan.
• Season: Mix the paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken on a baking tray, drizzle then rub with half the oil. Sprinkle with seasoning, then repeat on the other side.
• Bake the chicken for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 67°C/153°F. Remove from the tray and rest for 5 minutes then cut into 4 x 1cm / 2.5 x 1/2" pieces.

Cook pasta:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil then add the 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta per the packet time plus 2 minutes (Note 5).
• Drain, rinse under water then leave to drain well and cool.

Boil eggs:

• 9 minutes: Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Lower eggs in using a slotted spoon then start the timer for 9 minutes. Reduce stove heat so eggs are not bouncing around so much that the shells crack.
• Peel in cold water: Remove eggs using a slotted spoon into a large bowl or sink of cold water (iced water is best, but I never waste ice on eggs!). Leave for 5 minutes then peel while submerged under water, it's easier.
• Pat dry then cut eggs into quarters.

Dressing:

• Place all ingredients except the dill into a container just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until the avocado is smooth.
• Add dill and jus blitz to mix through. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.

Toss:

• Place the pasta and dressing in a very large bowl along with everything else EXCEPT the eggs. Toss gently to combine.
• Add eggs, then toss gently to disperse. Serve!

Notes

1. Avocado – I know it’s unusual to ask you to measure the flesh, but given that not all avocados are exactly the same size, I need you to do it! Scoop the flesh, smush into measuring cups.

2. Buttermilk – A near-perfect sub in this recipe is to use half yogurt + half milk. I doubt anyone could tell the difference – I can’t!

3. Mayonnaise – I like whole egg mayonnaise, it’s got a smoother flavour than normal mayo. Kewpie mayonnaise is almost as great here! Substitute with sour cream or yogurt for a lighter version.

4. Fresh dill – Coriander/cilantro and chives are also herbs use in ranch, but I like dill the best. Use the same quantity.

5. Cooking pasta – For pasta salads, I like to overcook the pasta until it’s extra-soft because pasta goes firm once cool. So if it’s overly soft when hot, it will be the perfect texture when cool!

6. Storing – Keeps for 4 days in the fridge, and stays green thanks to the lemon in the dressing!

7. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 522cal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 995mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 593IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Director Dozer, waiting for his assistant (me) to show up to work (ie feed / pat / play with him).

The post The most amazing avocado pasta salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a copycat of a Japanese Slaw sold at a charcoal chicken chain called Chargrill Charlie’s here in Sydney. This slaw-like salad has a Japanese spin with a scattering of edamame, sesame-dressed wakame seaweed salad and a creamy soy dressing. The seaweed totally makes it!

Japanese Slaw – Chargrill Charlie’s copycat

This recipe was requested by a reader. I was happy to oblige because although I find the Chargrill Charlie’s chicken so-so, their salads are actually pretty good! In fact I’ve done another before, a copycat of their famous Green Bean Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.

So this recipe is a copycat of the Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw, named as such because the base salad is made using finely shredded cabbage and carrots like western Coleslaw but with the addition of seaweed salad and edamame all tossed with a sesame soy dressing.

It is very good!

What goes in this Japanese Slaw

This salad is a direct copycat of the Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw, so the ingredients are what I spied and tasted, with the exception of green onion which I think adds much needed freshness.

What goes in the salad

• Japanese seaweed salad – This is sliced strands of a type of wakame seaweed, dressed in a sweet sesame dressing. It’s somewhat slippery and has a unique texture unlike anything I can think of in Western cuisine. These days, it is often served as a small side dish at sushi bars and Japanese restaurants, and it’s become extremely popular – with good reason. It is addictive!! I literally cannot stop eating it.

  It is sold already dressed at seafood shops (usually in small black trays, like pictured below), as well as Asian and Japanese grocery stores. I also understand it comes in frozen packets, though I’ve never bought it (I believe you can buy it at Costco?). It has a fridge shelf life of several weeks.

  If you’re not a fan of seaweed salad, you’ll be missing a key element of this Japanese Slaw because the dressing on the seaweed salad actually forms part of the dressing for this whole salad. So really, don’t skip it!

• Edamame – Also known as fresh soy beans. Buy them frozen, either in their pods or already shelled. Simply prepare per the packet (usually a 5 minute boil). It’s pretty common these days, even sold in the frozen vegetable aisle of large grocery stores here in Australia (Woolies, Coles etc).

• Cabbage – Both green and red, because that’s what Chargrill Charlie’s use!

• Carrot – Again, because Chargrill Charlie’s uses it.

• Green onion – Chargrill Charlie’s does NOT use this! But I do, because I think it adds much needed freshness into the salad.

What you need for the Japanese Slaw dressing

And here’s what you need for the dressing. Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise is the optional extra touch here which gives the dressing an extra creamy element just like the one used by Chargrill Charlie’s.

• Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise – This is purely optional so feel free to skip it if you are turned off by the inclusion of mayonnaise in the dressing! We only use 1 tablespoon, and I’ve included it because I am pretty sure Chargrill Charlie’s uses it to make the dressing just a wee bit creamier.

  If you can’t find or don’t have Kewpie mayonnaise (but why not?? Everybody knows it’s the best mayonnaise around!) feel free to use ordinary mayonnaise (preferably whole egg) or simply skip it.

• Rice vinegar – The acid in the dressing, for brightness.

• Olive oil and sesame oil – Our oils. Sesame for flavour but olive oil as well to dilute the strength of using sesame alone.

• Sugar – Because the Chargrill Charlie’s dressing is distinctly sweet. Mine is a bit less sweet than theirs.

• Soy sauce – This is the salt in the dressing.

• Wasabi paste – The Chargrill Charlie’s dressing definitely has a distinct bite to it! It’s not spicy, but rather a background warmth. You can wasabi paste in tubes at supermarkets and Asian/Japanese grocers. Wasabi is purely optional, so feel free to leave it out.

How to make Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw

Just shake up the dressing in a jar, put everything in a bowl and toss.

Yes, it’s that easy, and that’s why there’s no recipe video for this recipe! Though, as always, if you ask nicely in the comments section below, I’ll make this for lunch and film it for you!

What to serve with this Japanese Slaw

I personally find this salad has enough substance to it to be a meal. Well, let’s be more truthful: It’s good for a light(-ish) lunch. For dinner, it’s for those days when I’m trying to be “healthy”.

For a normal meal, I’d add a side of protein to fill it out. Here are some on-theme suggestions:

Asian Glazed Salmon

Sticky Honey Soy Baked Chicken

Golden Turmeric Fish (Indonesian)

Asian Chilli Chicken

Char Siu Pork (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Stir fries

Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

Asian Recipes

Enjoy! – Nagi x

PS. No video today as it’s a “easy salad day” where I’m sharing 3 fairly straightforward recipes: this salad, a Pear Salad with Blue Cheese (swoon!) and Roasted Large Mushrooms with Green Onion Thyme Butter. But if you really want a video for this one, just leave a comment below and I’ll do it when I get a chance!

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Japanese Slaw – Chargrill Charlie’s Copycat

This is a copycat of a Japanese Slaw sold at a charcoal chicken chain called Chargrill Charlie's here in Sydney. This slaw-like salad has a Japanese spin with a scattering of edamame, sesame-dressed wakame seaweed salad and a creamy soy dressing. The seaweed totally makes it!

Serve it as a side or as a meal with a simple piece of Asian Glazed Salmon or Honey Garlic Chicken Breast.

Course Side Salad

Cuisine Asian-esque

Keyword japanese salad, japanese slaw

Prep Time 15 minutes

Wilting time 15 minutes

Servings 4 – 6 as a side

Calories 288cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Japanese Slaw:

• 5 cups (tightly packed) green cabbage , finely shredded (~1/2 medium head, Note 1)
• 2 cups (tightly packed) red cabbage , finely shredded (~1/4 small head, Note 1)
• 1 carrot (medium) , peeled and finely shredded (using a julienne shredder, or box grater, Note 2)
• 2 green onion stems , finely sliced on the diagonal
• 1 cup edamame , cooked per packet directions (Note 3)
• 2/3 cup Japanese seaweed salad , pre dressed (Note 4)

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub cider vinegar)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (Note 5)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar (any type) or 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/2 – 1 1/2 tsp wasabi paste , adjust to taste (entirely optional) (Note 6)

Instructions

• Dressing: Shake Dressing ingredients in a jar until the mayonnaise is fully emulsified. Taste and add more sugar if you want.
• Toss with salad: Place cabbage, carrot, green onion, half the edamame and half the seaweed salad in a bowl. Add about 3/4 of the dressing, toss. (Seaweed will mostly stay in clumps).
• Wilt: Set aside for 15 minutes to let the cabbage wilt a bit.
• Serve: Toss again, then pile onto serving platter or bowl. Drape over remaining seaweed salad (in clumps) and edamame, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Serve!

Notes

1. Cabbage measurement – By “tightly packed”, I mean you stuff the cabbage into cup measures then pack it down tightly. That is 1 tightly packed cup. When you tip it into the bowl, it will seemingly double in volume.

2. Carrot shredding – I use a shredder tool that creates really thin strands, it cost a pittance from an Asian store. The finer the strands, the better. Fallback: Standard box grater.

3. Edamame – The fresh beans of young soybeans, easily found these days in the freezer section of everyday grocery stores alongside peas! Cook per packet directions.

4. Japanese Seaweed Salad – Sold pre-dressed in a delicious sweet sesame dressing which forms part of the overall flavour of this dish. Find it at fresh seafood stores, and Asian or Japanese grocery stores. Also sold frozen, such as at Costco.

5. Kewpie mayonnaise – A popular Japanese mayonnaise easily found these days in the Asian section of grocery stores. Famed for its smooth flavour and gentle rice vinegar tang! Sub with any mayo. It makes the dressing extra creamy, like you get at Chargrill Charlie’s. Feel free to skip it (no sub needed).

6. Wasabi paste – The Chargrill Charlie’s salad has a distinct kick to it which can only be wasabi! Sold in tubes in the Asian section of grocery stores, fairly accessible these days. Just use as much or as little as you want. I use 1 1/2 tsp of tube paste. If you have fresh wasabi, a) I want to be you; b) use 1/2 tsp (fresh is much stronger than store bought paste).

Nutrition

Calories: 288cal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 1041mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 4222IU | Vitamin C: 180mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

Snuffle all you want. There are no crumbs for you!

The post Japanese Slaw – Chargrill Charlie’s Copycat appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This Pear Salad is a stellar combination of flavours reminiscent of your favourite cheeseboard: juicy pear with piquant pops of blue cheese, toasty walnuts and a Honey Mustard Dressing. Peppery rocket (arugula) is an ideal refreshing contrast to use as the leafy base.

This is an excellent salad option for a starter, or as a stylish side salad!

Pear Salad with Blue Cheese

This is a salad that’s all about classic and natural pairings, things we *always* see on cheeseboards. That’s because they just work so well together, yet you may not have thought about combining them in a salad. Combos like:

✓ Fruit and blue cheese

✓ Fruit and honey

✓ Fruit and nuts

✓ Cheese, honey and nuts (have I covered all combos there? 😂)

Oh, plus some leafy greens. This transforms our “cheese board” into a salad!

It’s a delicious way to use pears when they’re in season for something other than dessert (such as this Pear Pistachio Tart or this Pear Blue Cheese Slice). It’s also one that blue cheese lovers can get excited about! 🙋🏻‍♀️

What goes in Pear Salad with Blue Cheese

Here’s what goes into this Pear Salad:

Pears

I actually use 1 1/2 pears which for me is a nice amount for a whole package of rocket/arugula (standard size 120g / 4oz which is around 5 packed cups). If you want a more pear-forward salad, feel free to use more pears, it’s really up to you.

Best type of pears – Use any variety you want, as long as they’re ripe. I used Beurre Bosc pears (the ones with the cinnamon-coloured skin) which are fairly common and good value here in Australia when in season. Packham, Josephine, Corella Pears, even nashi pears – they all work.

Blue Cheese

Best to use one that is slightly creamy but still firm enough to be crumbled, like pictured. As a key ingredient in this salad, the better the cheese, the better the dish! Here are my favourites:

1. Roquefort – Made from sheep’s milk, this famous French cheese is creamy enough to be spreadable but firm enough to crumble. This is my favourite to use for most blue cheese salads. Other French blues I like to use: St Agur, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne. These are sold at most Harris Farms and some Woolies these days (Australia).

2. Gorgonzola – An Italian blue that ranges in texture based on variety, from ultra creamy to more crumbly. I like gorgonzola piccante (90 days aged, creamier, most rounded flavour), followed by the better value gorgonzola dolce (60 days aged, milder, and excellent value for money).

3. British Stilton – Slightly sharper than the above two, this cheese is not for the faint hearted! Try to get an aged one for a smoother flavour.

More options: Danish blue cheese is also a good option for a better value option. And for those who are new to blue cheese, Blue Castello is a good one to start with (the most mild, and good value). Australia also produces some excellent blues these days that are not hard to find like those from King Island.

Avoid blue cheese that is like brie (ie. too creamy to crumble on salad) or really firm and crumbly ones, which are too crumbly to stick to the salad ingredients (they just fall to bottom of bowl).

Rocket (arugula)

I think this peppery lettuce is ideal for this salad because the sharp flavour contrasts nicely with all the other tastes going on. A more neutral leafy green, like baby spinach, wouldn’t really bring anything to this dish in my view.

Walnuts

Walnuts is a classic choice for a blue cheese salad. Though actually, other nuts will work just as well like almonds, pecans, hazelnuts. I wouldn’t use peanuts (bit odd, I think?) or macadamia nuts (maybe too rich with blue cheese).

Honey Mustard Dressing for Pear Salad

I opted for a Honey Mustard Dressing here because honey with pears, walnuts and cheese is a classic pairing. Sweet, savoury, nutty, creamy, juicy – it pushes all the right buttons!

• Honey – For the flavour, sweetness and to thicken the dressing.

• Dijon mustard – Also to help thicken and emulsify the dressing while adding a touch of tang and flavour.

• Cider vinegar – The main tanginess in the dressing. Any mild(ish) vinegar will work in its place – white wine vinegar, champagne or sherry vinegar,

• Extra virgin olive oil (or ordinary olive oil) – The better the oil, the better the dressing! If you have flavoured nut oils like hazelnut or walnut oil, they’d also be wonderful to use instead here.

What to serve with Pear Salad

As a starter

This is a salad that’s ideal for serving as a starter. Never underestimate the power of a good salad as a starter! If it’s interesting enough like this and has a bit of wow factor, it sets a great tone for the rest of the meal.

Meal

As a meal, serve it with a side of home-made bread if you would like to a light but satisfying meal:

World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD crusty bread

Focaccia recipe (it’s incredible)

Sandwich Bread WITHOUT yeast

World’s best No Yeast Bread – Irish Soda Bread

Savoury Cheese Muffins

Brioche

Cheese, Herb & Garlic Quick Bread (No Yeast)

Breads

As a side salad

As a side salad, because the blue cheese makes it quite rich (even though each serving only as a little crumble) try to serve it with something that doesn’t have an overwhelmingly strong sauce. Otherwise, you’ll just have too many flavours competing on your plate – and we want this salad to shine!

Here are some suggestions:

• Roast chicken – A beautiful classic roast chicken served with the herb-garlic-butter pan juices

• Crispy Herb Roast Chicken pieces – This is a family favourite to make in big batches

• Prime Rib (Standing Rib Roast), Marinated Roast Beef or Marinated Beef Steak – Big beefy flavours are an excellent pairing with blue cheese generally.

• Pork! Either a roast pork (with crackling, of course!), pork chops with a savoury rub or Lemon Garlic marinated pork chops.

Roast Chicken

Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)

Just a great Pork Rub

Beef Steak Marinade

CRISPY Herb Baked Chicken with Gravy (easy roast chicken!)

Pork Roast with Crispy Crackling

Marinated Roast Beef

A Great Pork Chop Marinade

Enjoy! – Nagi x

PS No video today as it’s a “easy salad day” where I’m sharing 3 fairly straight forward recipes (this salad, Roasted Large Mushrooms with Green Onion Thyme Butter and Chargrill Charlie’s Copycat Japanese Slaw). But if you really want a video for this one, just leave a comment below and I’ll do it when I get a chance!

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Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Rocket

Classic combination of ingredients, cheeseboard favourites transformed in salad form with the addition of pepper rocket lettuce!

Ideal to serve as a starter, light lunch or as a side for a main that's not too rich.

We go light on the dressing here because the blue cheese and juice from the pears act as part of the dressing. See Note 1 for my recommende blue cheeses.

Course Side Salad

Cuisine Western

Keyword blue cheese salad, pear and blue cheese salad, pear salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 5 – 6 as a side

Calories 266cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 – 2 pears , any type, juicy and ripe (or nashi pears or sweet apples)
• 3/4 cup walnuts , whole (sub almonds, pecans)
• 120g / 4oz rocket/arugula lettuce
• 120g / 4 oz roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton or other good blue cheese, creamy but can be crumbled into chunks (Note 1)

Honey Mustard Dressing:

• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Dressing: Shake Dressing in a jar.
• Pears: Halve then scoop out core. Place cut face down and slice into 3mm / 0.12" slices. (Note 2)
• Walnuts: Spread on tray and toast in a 180°C/350°F oven for 8 minutes or until they smell nutty. Leave some whole, break some in half with hands.
• Dress rocket: In a large bowl, toss rocket with 2 tbsp Dressing.
• Assemble: Pile 1/3 rocket on a platter. Scatter with 1/3 pears, 1/3 walnuts, 1/3 blue cheese crumbled into small chunks. Repeat twice more. Drizzle with remaining Dressing just before serving.

Notes

1. Blue cheese – Look for a blue that is creamy so it sticks to the salad but still firm enough to crumble into chunks with your fingers (though your fingers will be smeared with blue cheese!). Blue brie is too creamy, cheddar-like ones are too hard – they just end up at bottom of bowl.

My favourite (in order): Roquefort (other French blues I like: St Agur, Fourme d’Ambert), Gorgonzola Piccante, Gorgonzola Dolce, good British Stilton. For a good value option, opt for a Danish. If you’re blue cheese-shy, Blue Castello is a safe bet – very mild.

Generally with cheese, you get what you pay for.

2. Slicing pears – The slices should not be paper thin, or even so thin they completely “flop”. They should have a slight bend when picked up with a fork, as pictured in post. But they should not be so thick that they crack when you stab with a fork!

Amount to use: 1 1/2 pears is the perfect amount to me for the specified amount of rocket. If you want a more pear forward salad, use more.

Stop pears browning: If not assembling in 30 min, drizzle lightly with lemon juice to stop them from going brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 266cal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer, the warm glow of sunset is flattering on you! If only your snout wasn’t covered in slobber splatters and you didn’t have a speck of eye snot on your cheek…… 😝

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