Go Back
–+ servings
a bowl of salad with pears, cheese, frisee lettuce, and shallots; on a table

Frisee Pear Salad with Pistachios & Dates

20 minutes prep + 0 minutes cook
12 cups
Incredible frisee pear salad with dates, pistachios, blue cheese, and mustard vinaigrette! This pear harvest salad is great for fall and Thanksgiving!

Ingredients 
US Customary - Metric

For Salad Dressing:

  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup, or honey
  • 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme
  • sea salt and black pepper

For Frisee Pear Salad:

  • 1 large head frisee lettuce, about 10 cups chopped
  • 2 large pears
  • 2 medium shallots
  • 1/3 cup salted, roasted pistachios
  • 6 large Medjool dates
  • 1/3 cup blue cheese, or goat cheese

Instructions

Making the Salad Dressing:

  • To make the dressing, zest the lemon first and place the zest into a large measuring cup. Squeeze in the lemon juice next.
  • Pour in the olive oil and add the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Use a zester to grate the garlic and add it to the cup.
  • Whisk all the ingredients vigorously, then set aside until ready to use.

Preparing the Salad Ingredients:

  • Fill a large bowl with cold water and add a few tablespoons of baking soda. Submerge the entire head of frisée lettuce for a few minutes and swirl it around to clean. Do two additional clean rinses, then shake the lettuce dry.
  • Cut off the end core/browned bottom from the head of lettuce, then chop the frisée into serving size pieces. Place the lettuce into a large serving bowl.
  • Next, prepare the pears. Slice them in half, remove the core, then slice thinly using a sharp knife or mandolin slicer.
  • Slice the shallot thinly into rings. Dice the salted pistachios. Chop the dates into small, pea-sized pieces.

Assembling the Salad:

  • Sprinkle the sliced shallots over the frisée lettuce. Arrange the pear slices into fans, about 5 to 6 slices in each bunch, then add the pears over the lettuce.
  • Sprinkle the diced pistachios and chopped dates over the top. Crumble the blue cheese and sprinkle evenly.
  • Give the salad dressing a quick whisk and pour over the salad. Add the salad dressing right before serving; otherwise, keep it on the side!
  • You can prepare the salad up to 4 hours ahead of time. Simply keep the salad covered and refrigerated. To keep the pears from browning, brush them lightly with lemon juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup of salad | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1177IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg