Recipes

Roasted Pear & Squash Salad with Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Dressing

By Andrea Buckett

Published: 

Roasted Pear and Squash Salad

Ingredients

For the Pears and Squash

  • 3 underripe Bosc pears (680g/1.5lb), cut into ½” thick slices
  • 2 Delicata squash (454g/1lb), halved lengthwise and cut into ½” thick moons
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Hazelnut Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons, skinless, toasted, whole hazelnuts
  • ½ shallot
  • 1 teaspoon, fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon liquid honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Salad

  • 140g baby arugula
  • ½ small red onion, sliced with the grain, into thin half moons
  • 125g blue cheese, crumbled
  • ⅓ cup, roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
  2. Add the pears to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add all the pears, in one even layer to a baking sheet.
  3. Add the squash to the same bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add all the squash, in one even layer to a second baking sheet.
  4. Place both baking sheets in the oven on the middle rack. Roast for 20-22 minutes, turning the pears and squash halfway through cooking. The pears should be golden brown and tender crisp. The squash should be cooked through and slightly golden brown. Remove both from the oven and set aside to cool.
  5. In the meantime, make the dressing. Add the hazelnuts, shallot, thyme and a pinch of salt to a mini food processor. Blitz to break down the hazelnuts into a slightly sandy but creamy consistency. Add the honey, Dijon mustard and vinegar. Process until everything is well combined. Stream in the olive oil until the mixture is thick and creamy. stream in 1-2 tablespoons of warm water until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
  6. To assemble the salad. Add the arugula to a large bowl. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to coat the arugula. Lay the arugula out evenly on a large serving platter. Top with the roasted pears and squash. Drizzle with more dressing. Scatter the red onion over the top followed by blue cheese and finish with the hazelnuts.
  7. Serve.