Gorgonzola Pear Salad With Candied Pecans

After a title like that one, you know this is going to be a killer salad. This recipe is a family favorite. In fact, my mom just blogged it too! She likes her's with a side of sticker. ;)

Here it is in a nutshell: The ingredients: green leaf lettuce, pears, avocado, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, purple onion and pecan pieces.


slice, dice, rinse, spin and repeat


Carmelized Pecans: This is the tricky part. You place the pecans in a hot pan on high heat and you have to stay with it, constantly turning them around. Once you start to smell the pecans (you are going to love this smell), then you add the 1/4 cup sugar. Constantly stirring once again. Watch the sugar turn to a liquid state and toss the pecans all around in the syrupy goodness, until they are all coated. Then remove them from the hot pan and let them cool. Keep them at room temp and then add them in at the very end, just right before tossing.


Here are the dressing ingredients all lined up, they are all listed below.


You can make this ahead of time (maybe a few hours) I would not refrigerate the dressing.


Toss everything together just right before serving, and ENJOY! It's a good one.


The Recipe:

Gorgonzola Pear Salad
1 head red leaf or green leaf lettuce (preferably red leaf if it's available)
3-4 pears sliced (and peeled - optional)
1 pkg gorgonzola crumbles
1 avocado sliced
1 purple onion sliced thin

Carmelize together:
1 pkg pecan pieces
1/4 cup sugar

The Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbl. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. mustard
1 clove garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt & pepper