Arugula Pear Salad

Name: Arugula Pear Salad
Prep time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 6 cups baby Arugula; 2 whole pears (Washed and sliced.); 1 cup cheese; 1 cup fresh blackberries (washed); 2 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 1 tsp garlic powder; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

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This easy Arugula Pear Salad is super simple to make and something that pairs well with just about anything. The peppery arugula combined with fresh red onions, parmesan cheese, and an array of fruits is so simple yet so delicious. This delicious salad only takes 10 minutes to make and can be prepped at the beginning of the week so you can eat it all week long.

Arugula salad on a plate with pears, goat cheese, sunflower seeds and pomegranate.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get get tired of your typical mixed green salad. Spicing your traditional salad up with fresh arugula is a great way to eat something different. I like to prepare this salad at the beginning of the week and eat it as an appetizer before we eat our dinner. As someone with an autoimmune disease, getting a ton of greens in is essential for me to feel good and my body to function well. I made this homemade simple salad this past week when we had company with my Air Fryer Salmon Bites and my Chickpea Croutons. It was such a light yet delicious appetizer. While you can eat this salad all year round, it makes for the most perfect Fall salad!

Why This Recipe Makes The Most Perfect Salad

This recipe is naturally gluten free, grain free, soy free and egg free. It can be made Whole30 friendly, dairy free and vegan by omitting the cheese.
This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare!
While I love using my homemade salad dressing in this recipe, you can also use a traditional balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, or a simple vinaigrette that you already have on hand.
This recipe pairs well with just about anything, but my favorite thing to make it with is my Date Night Steak Dinner and Crispy Mini Potatoes with Garlic Aioli. You can also use this recipe for meal prep to make a light lunch! It has also become a staple at holiday dinners. I made it this year for Christmas dinner and Thanksgiving dinner. If you are going to make this recipe as a main dish, I suggest pairing it with my Easy Salmon recipe.
You can bulk make this dressing and use it for just about any salad on my blog. It would pair well with my Apple Grape Kale Salad, Whole30 Greek Salad, Cucumber and Apple Salad, and my Kale Blueberry Salad.
If you are local to Pittsburgh and are in need of meal prep, you can order this salad on my meal prep delivery menu. We deliver all over Pittsburgh.

Arugula Pear Salad Ingredients

Baby Arugula: Arugula has a peppery flavor and is bitter in comparison to other types of greens. When it is paired with something sweet like fruit it makes for the most perfect combination of flavor.
Pears: In my opinion bosc pears are the best pears but any kind of sweet pears will work. Asian pears are also a favorite of mine. You just have to make sure you use ripe pears.
Cheese: I love using parmesan cheese on this salad but you can also use creamy goat cheese, crumbled goat cheese, feta cheese or even crumbled blue cheese. Either will work! It simply depends on what kind of cheese you prefer. Any kind of salty cheese will work.
Blackberries: This compliments the sweet pears oh so well, but any kind of fresh fruits will work too.
Extra virgin olive oil: This is the base of the salad dressing.
Pinch of salt: For taste in the dressing.
Dijon mustard: This adds flavor to the dressing.
Maple syrup: This adds a touch of sweetness to the salad dressing.
Lemon juice: To give this dressing a little bit of an acidy kick.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

Arugula: You can also use baby kale or baby spinach.
Nuts: Any kind of nut will add some crunch to this salad. I also love crunchy walnuts and crunchy pecans.
Mustard: Whole grain mustard will also work for this recipe in place of dijon.
Vinegar: I sometimes use apple cider vinegar interchangeably with red wine vinegar. Both will give this simple dressing a nice kick.
Croutons: I love adding my fresh Gluten Free Homemade Croutons on top of this salad. It adds some extra crunch and makes for a perfect salad.
Pomegranate seeds: This gives this recipe a pop of color and crunch.
Sunflower seeds: Gives this salad a nice crunch!

This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations. If you try something else out please let me know how it turns out in the comments below!

Step By Step Instructions

Arugula Pear Salad 4 — **Step #1:** Wash all produce. Slice the pairs longways. Assemble the salad and set aside. Now, place all dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix until well mixed throughout.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to peel the pears for this salad?

That is up to you. Bosc pears have a thicker skin, but it does not bother me.

How do I know if a pear is ripe?

Pears should be somewhat softer to touch when they are ripe. They should be juicy. A pear will also slightly change color from bright green to more of a yellow brown as it ripens.

How should I cut pears for a salad?

Pears should be washed first, then cut longways. Remove the core with a spoon, then cut each slice about 1/4 inch thick.

Expert Tips

Tip #1: Slice the pears thin.
Tip #2: Make your dressing in advance. It makes life so much easier! You can also use this dressing for other salads too. If you make it in advance, make sure you mix the dressing up prior to using so it is well mixed all throughout.
Tip #3: Wash the pears before slicing.

Storage Instructions

It is best to store this homemade salad without the salad dressing on it. Store in two separate air tight containers. You can store the salad for up to 5 days.