Bosc Pear Salad with Dried Currants and Toasted Hazelnuts

It’s hard to tell a cheesemonger to not put cheese on everything. Especially salads.

Imagine a crunchy kale salad with garlic breadcrumbs without sharp, salty grated pecorino sprinkled delicately on top. Or a peach caprese salad without thick slices of fresh, creamy, milky mozzarella. Or a grilled chicken salad without those tangy crumbles of feta.

Sad! Tragic! Hopeless!

I got my mother on the cheese train, too. She’s become even more obsessed than I am, to the point where she yelled at me for not having blue cheese crumbles in my refrigerator 24/7, so that she could put them on her meals whenever she visits.

“And you, a cheesemonger?! To not have any blue cheese in the house?!”

But cheese doesn’t have to go on every salad. Even cheesemongers (and their mothers) can try to practice some self-discipline now and then.

Some.

In many recipes, the fresh ingredients speak for themselves, without the need for any additional dairy component to augment the flavors.

Not convinced, fellow dairy-lovers?

An autumnal salad with bosc pears, dried currants, toasted hazelnuts, and a lemony vinaigrette is all the proof you’ll need. Combined with peppery arugula, it’s a fresh recipe with enticing flavors and textures.

Resolutely simple on purpose, the dish is as elegant as it is minimal. It has no dairy to surround itself with, and no heavy, mayo-laden dressing to hide behind.

And while I’m still tempted to reach for the Roquefort I used on last week’s baby greens salad, I won’t budge. Because this recipe is pretty darn good.

That’s why having the best ingredients, and the perfect prep, is crucial. This is when it’s absolutely necessary to use sweet, perfectly ripe pears. (For your reading pleasure, we have all the tricks of the trade to ripen your pears until they are juicy and succulent!)

Even your mom won’t miss the cheese.

Bosc Pear Salad with Dried Currants and Toasted Hazelnuts

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Nikki Cervone
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

In need of a simple, yet flavorful, salad? Make a fresh arugula salad with pears, dried currants, hazelnuts, and a lemon vinaigrette.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup whole raw hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups lightly packed arugula
• 2 Bosc pears
• 1/3 cup dried currants
• Coarse salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

To Toast the Hazelnuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place whole nuts on an unlined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven, and cool completely. Place hazelnuts on top of a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the nuts, and vigorously rub to remove most of the skins.
4. Roughly chop the nuts, using a cutting board and knife, or a food processor.

To Make the Salad:

1. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl to make the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more oil or lemon juice as desired.
2. Immediately before serving, thinly slice the pears. Combine all ingredients with the dressing in a large salad bowl, and toss well.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve right away.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: No-Cook, Baking
• Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keywords: pear, arugula, hazelnut, currant

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Toast the Hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place whole hazelnuts on an unlined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, until aromatic. They will turn slightly darker. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn!

Remove from the oven, and cool completely.

The skins tend to be slightly bitter. Remove them by placing the hazelnuts on top of a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the nuts, and vigorously rub to remove most of the skins. It’s completely fine if you can’t remove some of the skin – it’s still edible!

Roughly chop the hazelnuts, using a cutting board and knife or a food processor.

If you prefer a garnish that’s hot and spicy, ditch the roasted hazelnuts and substitute an equal amount of nuts from our spicy stovetop toasted nuts!

Step 2 – Make the Dressing

Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl to make the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Need a little lemon or oil? Add more as desired!

You can use your favorite dressing instead of this simple lemon and oil blend. Try a lemon tarragon dressing, or a creamy balsamic vinaigrette.

Step 3 – Slice the Fruit

Immediately before serving, thinly slice the Bosc pears. The slices will turn brown if sliced too early before serving, so it’s best to wait until right before serving to slice and assemble.

Step 4 – Combine

Combine all ingredients with the dressing in a large salad bowl, and toss well.

Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve immediately so the greens and fruit do not become limp and soggy.

About Nikki Cervone

Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

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