Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

By brigidc, posted 9 months ago

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Although this salad has lots of different ingredients, it's somehow not overly busy or complicated. We love how the fragrance and sweetness of the pomegranate molasses mollify the tartness of the sherry vinegar in the dressing, and how the shallots lightly pickle in the vinaigrette as you make the rest of the salad. Mellow pears, salty goat cheese, crunchy pomegranate seeds and toasted pistachios ensure that every bite contains a great mix of flavors and textures. Brigidc has carefully mapped out every step, and the result is a balanced autumn salad that can stand alone or work as part of a meal. - A&M

Sweet, salty, tart, crunchy and spicy, this salad has perfect flavor and texture balance. The inspiration was pomegranate molasses, which I learned about when I worked on a Persian food class. I like how the molasses takes the acidic edge off the vinaigrette but it is still tangy and delicious.

Serves 6

Vinaigrette:

• 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons sherry or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepepr
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

• 4 cups arugula, lightly packed
• 4 cups romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 2 ripe pears, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 3 ounces fresh goat cheese or feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

1. In a small bowl combine the shallot, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved.
2. Whisk in the olive oil and let vinaigrette stand at room temperature until salad is assembled.
3. Combine the arugula, romaine, pears and half of the pomegranate seeds in a large bowl.
4. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the ingredients in the bowl (this works best if the cheese is very cold).
5. Whisk the vinaigrette until uniform and add all but 2 tablespoons of it to the bowl.
6. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
7. Crumble the remaining cheese over the salad and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds and the pistachios over the top. Serve immediately.