Grilled Pear and Crispy Prosciutto Salad is a lovely, warm weather salad and there’s nothing better than grilled fruit. Sweet, grilled pears are mixed with toasted pecans, goat cheese and arugula, all topped off with crispy prosciutto and a lime, balsamic, ginger dressing.
Have you tried grilled fruit? You can pretty much grill any fruit from pineapple to lemons. After eating this salad, I wondered why I had never grilled pears before now, grilled pear and crispy prosciutto salad. The sweet pears, crispy prosciutto, tangy goat cheese and toasted pecans, make for the perfect salad bite.
Pears are usually sold under-ripe, which is great for this recipe. If you try and grill ripe pears they will flop and fall apart. Anjous pears that are still firm are the perfect type for grilling, but not all supermarkets carry all varieties so any firm pear that you can find is perfect.
When I was making the dressing for this salad, it occurred to me that it would be perfect to brush onto the pears before grilling, and let me tell you, when that balsamic vinegar caramelizes with the pears, it’s perfection.
Yield: 6
Grilled Pear and Crispy Prosciutto Salad
Sweet, grilled pears are mixed with toasted pecans, goat cheese and arugula, all topped off with crispy prosciutto and a lime, balsamic, ginger dressing
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light agave nectar or honey
- 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
- Small pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 4 slices Prosciutto di Parma
- 4 firm pears of your choice, sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- Salad greens of your choice, I used baby spinach and arugula
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the lime, balsamic vinegar, agave or honey, ginger, salt and pepper.
- Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small sauté pan, add the pecans.
- Toast the pecans over medium low heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes per side.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the prosciutto slices evenly spaced.
- Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until crispy, remove and allow to cool on baking sheet.
- Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat.
- Brush both sides of the pear slices with the salad dressing.
- Grill the pears for 2 minutes on each side, remove and set aside and allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl add the salad greens and toss with the salad dressing, reserving some to add later.
- Divide the greens amongst 4 dishes.
- Divide the pecans between the 4 dishes.
- Arrange the cooled pear slices on the salad and top with the goat cheese.
- Crumble the prosciutto in your hands and sprinkle over the salads.
- Top with more dressing if needed.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 404 Saturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 12mg Sodium: 107mg Carbohydrates: 26g Protein: 6g
Brandi says
Yum! This looks so good. Pinned this to make later
HeiLin (Heidy McCallum) says
This wants me to start grilling pears, looks delicious.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
This looks so delicious! Pears is one of Grumpy’s favs and I absolutely love the pecans in this and the grilled pear is something I have never had but looking at it, definitely want to try also!
Kecia says
What an amazing salad! So fresh and flavorful! I love the grilled pears! I must try this when my pears are ripe!
Del's cooking twist says
Beautiful salad: healthy, tasty… I will definetely give it a try!
Meal Plannin Maven says
What a beautiful summer salad! We love grilling pears! Thank you for another wonderful dish!
Joanne DiPalo says
Wow, I’m definitely going to grill my fruit and prosciutto for this delicious summer salad. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I’m getting hungry just thinking about making this.
Dan Zehr says
Love this salad! We grilled peaches for a similar salad last summer, now I know it can be done with other succulent fruits as well. Thanks for sharing this beauty!
Sandra Shaffer says
What a gorgeous salad! This is perfect for a summer meal. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Renee Paj says
This looks and sounds absolutely wonderful! You basically had me at goat cheese and prosciutto! lol