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Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Homemade Pear Dressing

spinach pear salad with goat cheese on plate

Here’s a simple yet amazing spinach salad side dish for the summer!

This salad features fresh pears, pecans, dried cherries, creamy goat cheese, and a homemade pear vinaigrette drizzled over fresh spinach. If you are a salad enthusiast like me, pear spinach salad checks every box for flavor, texture, and crunch!

I have never regretted taking a little extra time to make a satisfying salad and this one is worth it! This is perfect for entertaining or something delicious to take to a BBQ.

spinach salad tossed with homemade pear dressing

The result is a salad that is both gorgeous to look at, and is as equally delicious to eat! It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and the goat cheese adds a unique creamy texture that you’re gonna love.

pear spinach salad ingredients on the counter

Tips for making the best pear spinach salad:

    • If fresh spinach isn’t your favorite, definitely consider adding in some of your favorite greens and lettuces such as romaine and arugula. Using a mix of both would be delicious!
    • As far as salad add-ins, I love pecans and dried cherries, but you could always use walnuts, almonds, or dried cranberries. The goat cheese is so delicious in this salad, though I think crumbled blue cheese would be nice too.
    • Start by tossing the salad with about 3/4 of the salad dressing, and then add from there. It’s easy to add more of the dressing in based on your preference.
    • When picking fresh pears, use your favorite variety, but make sure they are ripe to ensure maximum sweetness. I used a mix of Bosc and Anjou pears.
    • Make-ahead tip: You can compile this salad ahead of time and keep the dressing separate in a jar with a lid. Then right before serving, shake up the dressing and toss it with the salad.

pear salad dressing in a blender

pouring out pear dressing

adding dried cherries to spinach salad

adding pears to spinach salad

adding pear salad dressing to salad

eating a pear and spinach salad

Pear Spinach Salad

yield: 6 SERVINGS

prep time: 20 MINUTES

total time: 20 MINUTES

Here’s an elegant salad featuring thinly sliced pears, spinach, goat cheese, and pecans. The pear dressing is easy to whip up in the blender!

Ingredients

For the salad dressing:

For the salad:

Directions

1

Add salad dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour it into a small jar and set it aside.

2

Toss together all the salad ingredients in a large bowl with 3/4 of the dressing. Then add a little more in as desired.

3

Serve salad immediately. Enjoy!

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plate with spinach salad

You’ll love this “fancy” restaurant-worthy pear spinach salad! ?

It really tastes as if it came from a fancy cafe. Making homemade salad dressing is super easy to do and I love that you can adjust anything according to taste. You could also make this salad a full meal by adding some grilled chicken or other protein. Yum!

bowls of spinach salad

Check out what my teammate Jenna had to say about my pear spinach salad:

“This was so easy to throw together and the goat cheese made it so creamy and delicious. I think my favorite flavor combo in the world is goat cheese and cherries, and this recipe takes it to a whole new level! The fresh pear in the dressing and sliced in the salad is genius. The pecans + goat cheese + cherries + the dressing are such a great combination of flavors. I love them all mixed into the fresh spinach, and will absolutely make this again!”

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Here’s a restaurant-worthy pear spinach salad with goat cheese, pecans, & dried cherries, drizzled with a tangy pear vinaigrette made in the blender!Read MoreRecipes