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Pear & Rocket Salad

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Incredibly simple and quick to prepare, this Pear & Rocket Salad is delicious. The peppery rocket & salty Parmesan work so well with the sweet pear and balsamic vinegar.

Pear & Rocket Salad

A simple, delicious salad

You couldn’t get much more simple than this Pear & Rocket Salad. There is no cooking involved, just some easy preparation of ingredients.

I first had this salad in Fuerteventura at a lovely little tapas restaurant. We have been there many times, and always order this Pear & Rocket Salad. My Spanish Baked Chorizo & Beans is another take on a tapas recipe we order on holiday.

Pear & Rocket Salad is a little different

Although this Pear & Rocket Salad isn’t a new idea, it is something a little different.

It definitely isn’t one of those lettuce, cucumber and tomato salads that can be repetitive and boring. The flavours are interesting and exciting.

I really love how the peppery rocket, salty Parmesan work so well with the sweet pear. If you haven’t tried this before, you really should.

When are pears in season?

Here in the UK, we can buy pears year round. However they are at their best and most flavoursome when they are in season.

The season for pears varies depending on the variety. Some pears start to come into season in August and others are still available in February.

Which pears are best to use?

There are so many different varieties of pear and a lot of them would work really well in this recipe.

Personally I like to use pears with a softer texture, rather than a crisp texture like an Asian pear. However you can use whichever you’d prefer.

The most common pears in supermarkets are conference and comice pears. Both have sweet, juicy flesh which work really well in this Pear & Rocket Salad.

How ripe should the pears be?

You don’t want an under ripe pear, but you also don’t want it to be overripe and mushy.

If the pears are under ripe they will have a bit too much of a bite to them and generally not be as pleasant to eat. And if they are too ripe they might be bruised and turn mushy.

You want to use pears that are are slightly soft to the touch but still have some firmness.

how to create parmesan shavings

I prefer to use Parmesan shavings for this recipe. Not only goes it look better than grated Parmesan in my opinion, it makes it stand out and act as more of a main ingredient.

To create the shavings is really simple. I just use a potato peeler! This gives you lovely, thin slices of Parmesan which also have a slight curl to them too. Quick and easy!

why use rocket?

Rocket or arugula has a lovely peppery flavour which works really well with the rest of the ingredients in the salad.

If you didn’t want to use just rocket, you could use a mix of different salad leaves. I would recommend making sure rocket was featured though so you have the peppery flavour.

If you find find rocket, watercress would be a good substitute as it has a similar peppery flavour.

how to make this salad vegetarian

You may think this salad is already vegetarian but it isn’t.

Parmesan includes an ingredient called rennet which is an animal product therefore making this Pear & Rocket Salad not suitable for vegetarians.

However you can very easily make this vegetarian. There are many vegetarian and vegan hard cheeses which are similar to Parmesan.

This small change would make this salad suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is already gluten free.

What is balsamic vinegar drizzle?

If you haven’t heard of it before, balsamic vinegar drizzle or glaze is a thicker, sweet version of balsamic vinegar.

It is reduced with a sweetener such as honey or brown sugar. This makes it deliciously thick and glossy.

I much prefer using it to dress salads as sometimes balsamic vinegar can be a bit thin and sink to the bottom.

It used to be a little trickier to get hold of, but it is now readily available in most large supermarkets.

add even more tasty flavours

This Pear & Rocket Salad is simple and perfect as it is, but there are a few easy additions you could add.

If you are looking for a bit of crunch, you could add some walnuts to this recipe. Walnuts and pear work really well together so this would be great.

You could also add dried cranberries for another level of sweetness along with the pear.

How to serve this Pear & Rocket Salad

This Pear & Rocket Salad is a delicious addition to any meal.

It is delicious served alongside simply grilled meat or fish. It would also be a great side dish for a BBQ, picnic or buffet spread.

It would also be great served alongside a pizza; especially my Quick Pulled Pork Pizza.

Can I make this salad in advance?

I do think this Pear & Rocket Salad is best made just before you plan to serve it.

Pears have the tendency to start to discolour and become brown when they are cut. You can sprinkle the pear with lemon juice to help prevent this from happening as quickly.

But this salad is so quick and easy to make, I wouldn’t recommend making it in advance. I would also recommend making just what you are going to eat as the pears are likely to discolour if kept for later.

Other salads you might like

  • Beetroot, Red Pepper & Goat’s Cheese Salad
  • Easy Greek Salad
  • Giant Couscous, Tomato & Rocket Salad
  • Fig, Prosciutto & Rocket Salad
  • Easy Couscous Salad

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5 from 10 votes
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Pear & Rocket Salad

Incredibly simple and quick to prepare, this Pear & Rocket Salad is delicious. The peppery rocket & salty Parmesan work so well with the sweet pear and balsamic vinegar.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Salad
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword Salad, Parmesan, Rocket, Pear, Arugula
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 104 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

  • 2 pears cored
  • 60 g rocket (approx)
  • 40 g Parmesan shaved
  • balsamic vinegar drizzle

Instructions

  1. Core the pears and cut them into thin slices. Lay them on your serving plate in a circle

  2. Add a pile of rocket into the middle of the pear slices

  3. Scatter over the Parmesan shavings and finish drizzling with balsamic vinegar drizzle

Recipe Notes

Pear can discolour if left out. Prepare this salad just before you are going to serve it. You can sprinkle with some lemon juice to prevent discolouring. 

I use a potato peeler to make the Parmesan shavings. 

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and can vary. 

Nutrition Facts
Pear & Rocket Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 104 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 7mg2%
Sodium 165mg7%
Potassium 168mg5%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 456IU9%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 150mg15%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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18 Comments

Previous Post: « Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream (No Churn)
Next Post: Balsamic Tomato Salad »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Choclette says

    August 11, 2020 at 3:51 pm

    5 stars
    Ooh yes, cheese and fruit is such a good pairing. I’m definitely up for this one and the greens are a nice bonus.

    Pinned.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 13, 2020 at 12:31 pm

      They go together so well and it is something a bit different salad wise.

      Reply
  2. Donna says

    August 12, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    I’m always at such a loss with salads. I dump some leaves into a bowl and I’m stuck! This looks amazing, and I love the idea of the sweet pear. Would be perfect in this weather i’m sure!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 13, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      I think that happens to the best of us. Thank you πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Sarah James says

    August 12, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    What a great salad, I love the combination of pears & Parmesan. You’re right, Parmesan shavings are so much better than grated.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 13, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      Thanks Sarah. A little bit more fancy isn’t it!

      Reply
  4. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

    August 14, 2020 at 7:59 am

    5 stars
    Yay for mentioning that parmesan isn’t vegetarian! It’s a fact so often missed. I would love this fab summer salad with some veggie friendly cheese πŸ˜€

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 17, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      It’s you that taught me that πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Beth Sachs says

    August 14, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    5 stars
    This is my kind of easy salad. It’s good with blue cheese too.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 17, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      Thanks πŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. Chloe Edges says

    August 17, 2020 at 1:00 am

    5 stars
    Yum, I love a good rocket salad, especially with balsamic πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 17, 2020 at 9:51 pm

      Got to have the balsamic!

      Reply
  7. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says

    August 17, 2020 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    YUM! I love a simple pear, rocket and parmesan salad – such a fab combo! Eb x

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 17, 2020 at 9:51 pm

      So simple but very tasty πŸ™‚ x

      Reply
  8. Michelle Rolfe says

    August 17, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    I am a huge fan of rocket and the pairing of it with fruit. Funny I am not one for eating pears on their own but love them added to something like this. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle x

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 17, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      I agree, they’re not one of the fruits I reach for but they are so good in this salad x

      Reply
  9. Jacqueline Bellefontaine says

    August 18, 2020 at 11:33 am

    5 stars
    So often pears are combined with blue cheese in a salad and i really dont like blue cheese. With Parmesan now your talking, Yum!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 20, 2020 at 10:44 pm

      I am with you there Jacqui!

      Reply
5 from 10 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

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