This weekend was a whirlwind of fun activities. On Friday, we celebrated the marriage of two of our very best friends. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a blast. Friday was also my sister’s birthday, but since we had the wedding we celebrated on Saturday night. I made THESE peanut-butter brownies as her birthday treat and they were AMAZING. We served them with cashew milk vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge sauce, and rainbow sprinkles and it may have been the most delicious dessert I have ever eaten. We also played Speak Out, which is so much fun and I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun game to play. After two days of indulging, all I was craving was fruits and veggies. On Sunday, I made a veggie and egg scramble for breakfast. For lunch, I whipped up this Pear & Gorgonzola Salad and it was so good that I decided to share the recipe with all of you.
The salad starts with a base of spring mix, and then it’s topped with sliced or chopped pears, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and shelled sunflower seeds. I made a quick vinaigrette out of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. The result is a sweet and savory main dish salad that is super satisfying. This recipe serves two as a main dish, but you can also serve it as four side-dish salads if you prefer. I love the “bite” of the creamy blue cheese paired with the sweet, crisp pears. The walnuts and sunflower seeds add a nice depth of flavor and crunchy texture. I’ve been bringing this salad to work for lunch all week and I don’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon. If you make this Pear & Gorgonzola Salad, let me know what you think in the comments!
Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
For the Salad: 4 cups spring mix 1 Anjou pear, cored and sliced thin or chopped into ½ inch pieces 2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (or sub raisins)
For the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Combine all salad ingredients in large salad bowl and set aside. Wisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 348 Fat: 29g Carbs: 23g Protein: 9g Sodium: 416mg Sugar: 13g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
