Red Wine Poached Pear Salad
This sweet and savory Red Wine Poached Pear Salad is the perfect Fall starter meal, side dish or light main meal. Poached pears look so fancy and special, but they’re really quite easy to create.
These USA Pears are poached in a velvety red wine sauce, making them so succulent and tasty. The light sweetness from the pears combines so perfectly with the salty prosciutto and feta. Wouldn’t this make a fabulous starter salad for your holiday feast? Something unique that adds an elegant touch to your holiday meal or any meal.
Have you ever tried poaching a pear? I have to admit, I was a little intimidated to create a poached pear recipe. Let me tell you, it is so easy and adds so much flavor to any meal. Since creating this salad; I’ve also experimented, adding poached pears to my morning bowl of oats…oh my gosh…delish!
The grandfather of poached pear liquids is the traditional wine and sugar mixture, but today’s poached pear recipes run the spectrum of flavors and uses. Infuse creativity in your poached pear by experimenting with tea, bourbon, coconut milk, beer, coffee, or a myriad of other poaching liquids. Coffee is definitely next on my list!
I’m not sure why pumpkin and apples get all the love, this time of year. Pears are just not valued the way they should be, if you ask me. From salads, to oatmeal, to smoothies… they add so much deliciousness to your favorite foods. Fresh pear season is underway, with all 10 varieties of USA Pears being harvested now. Determining if a pear is ripe is easy: apply gentle pressure to the narrow “neck” of the pear with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe.
Red Wine Poached Pear Salad
Ingredients
For the poached pears:
- 4 pears, Bosc or Anjou
- 1 1/2 cups red wine, I used a Merlot.
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the salad:
- 4 cups baby spring mix or your favorite greens
- 4 slices prosciutto, torn in pieces
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1/4-1/2 cup pecans, pumpkin seeds or pistachios
- 1/4-1/2 cup pom seeds or dried fruit; such as craisins
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For poaching pears:
- In a 4 quart saucepan, combine wine, molasses, lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- While liquid is simmering, peel pears (I used a carrot peeler), leaving stem intact. Slice 1/2-inch off the bottom of the pears to create a flat bottom. Gently place pears in poaching liquid, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to ensure even color, until pears are cooked but still firm.
- Remove saucepan from heat, uncover and cool pears. Once cool, cover and chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally, if desired. Remove pears from liquid and allow to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, reduce liquid by about half over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until liquid is thick and slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and let liquid come to room temperature.
For the salad:
- In a large serving bowl or on 4 separate plates combine salad ingredients and toss to combine.
- Top each salad plate with a pear and drizzle each pear and salad with 2 tablespoons red wine sauce and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Something to think about….
Have you ever tried poaching pears?
What foods do you like pairing with pears?
If you haven’t tried adding a pear to your green smoothie, you’re really missing out!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Ahh! This is absolutely gorgeous recipe! I’ve always associated poached pears with classy-people food (pinkies up!) and I love how much color they bring to this recipe. So pretty!
This looks AMAZING!!