Warm Pear & Pumpkin Healthy Fall Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Ginger – Honey Balsamic Dressing

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Amy Hand
Amy Hand

Amy Hand

Amy worked as the head pastry chef and the head chef at multiple restaurants in South Africa. She now shares her professional insights about cooking and kitchen tools here at The Skillful Cook.

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Healthy Fall Salad with Pear, Pumpkin, Hazelnuts, and Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing

This healthy fall salad wows with its combination of sweet, salty, and tangy elements.

Salads have a bad reputation for being boring and flavorless but this salad proves this stereotype wrong!

This healthy fall salad wows with its combination of elements

The simple baby spinach is brightened by the ginger, honey, and balsamic dressing that has a careful balance of heat sweetness, and tanginess.

The cheese swoops in to add the hit of saltiness that this salad needs. This is all topped off with crunchy hazelnuts that add that essential texture.

The simple baby spinach is brightened by the balsamic dressing

The addition of pear and pumpkin to make it more filling means this salad is ideal as a healthy side or light main for fall gatherings.

It’s the perfect addition to a fall meal that celebrates all the flavors we love in this season.

perfect addition to a fall meal

Why you will love this Healthy fall salad with balsamic dressing recipe…

  • Quick and easy- This whole salad can be made in under 30 minutes.
  • Nutritious- It’s packed with so many healthy ingredients in different forms.
  • Creative salad- This salad is so much more than boring dressed greens with warm, crunchy, and salty elements to keep it fun.
  • Great textures- Soft, creamy, crunchy; this salad has it all.
  • Versatile- Serve this as a side, appetizer, or as a main.
Why you will love this Healthy fall salad with balsamic dressing recipe

Healthy Fall Salad with Pear, Pumpkin, Hazelnuts, and Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing

Fall is the perfect time to indulge in a warm salad. It's balanced perfectly with light greens, roasted pears and pumpkin, a salty kick from the cheese, and crunchy nuts.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 283 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the Salad:

  • 6 cups baby spinach
  • 2 ripe pears
  • 1 cup cubed pumpkin
  • ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
  • cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  • Olive oil (for roasting)

For the Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing:

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

Ingredients

  • Healthy Fall Salad with Pear, Pumpkin, Hazelnuts, and Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing - Ingredients

Step 1- Roast the Pears and Butternut

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Place pear slices and butternut cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly brush with a small amount of olive oil to keep them moist and prevent sticking.
    Healthy Fall Salad with Pear, Pumpkin, Hazelnuts, and Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing Instruction - Roast the Pears and Butternut
  • Season the butternut with salt and pepper.
  • Roast for about 15 minutes, or until pears and pumpkin are tender and caramelized around the edges. Allow to cool slightly.

Step 2- Prepare the Dressing

  • In a small bowl or jar, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, and grated ginger. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Whisk or shake until well blended and set aside.

Step 3- Assemble the Salad

  • In a large serving bowl, place the baby spinach or mixed greens as the base.
    Healthy Fall Salad with Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing Instruction - Assemble the Salad
  • Arrange the warm roasted pear slices on top.
    Healthy Fall Salad with Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing Instruction - warm roasted pear slices on top
  • Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, then add the hazelnuts.
    Healthy Fall Salad with Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing Instruction - Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese

Step 4- Dress and Serve

  • Drizzle the salad with the ginger-honey balsamic dressing.
  • Gently toss before serving to distribute the dressing, or serve with dressing on the side for guests to add as desired.
    Healthy Fall Salad with Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing Instruction - Dress and Serve

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 235mgPotassium: 587mgFiber: 5gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 6841IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Balsamic Dressing, Healthy Fall Salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!

Serving Suggestions

This salad is best served while the pears and pumpkin are still slightly warm for a more comforting feeling. This is a great salad to serve as an appetizer or side salad but it is also hearty enough to be a meal on its own.

Here are a few dishes that this salad would go well with:

🧑‍🍳 Expert Tips

  • Swap out blue cheese. Blue cheese is not to everyone’s taste so feel free to swap it for goat cheese, which offers a milder creaminess.
  • Make it extra crunchy. Try mixing mix in other nuts like walnuts or almonds for an extra crunch.
  • Change up the greens. Swap the spinach for your favorite mixed greens and even add some soft herbs like basil or arugula.
  • Try different squashes. Butternut and acorn squash would also work perfectly in this recipe.

Storage Suggestions

  • To store- If you are going to store this salad I suggest only dressing your portion just before serving so it can be stored undressed. Storing with the dressing on will cause the greens to wilt. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Healthy Fall Salad with Ginger-Honey Balsamic Dressing FAQs

What is the healthiest salad I can eat?

The healthiest salads are those that incorporate leafy greens like kale, spinach, and arugula. These ingredients are low calorie but they are also packed with vitamins A, C, and K, folate, calcium, and fiber.

What makes it a fall salad?

The inclusion of seasonal vegetables like pumpkin and pears set this salad apart from other seasonal salads.

What is the most unhealthy salad dressing?

The most unhealthy salad dressings are those that are mayonnaise-based because they are high in fat.

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Amy Hand
About The Author
After finding the chef life a little too high-paced, Amy decided to take her cooking skills and use them to teach others through food writing. She uses her knowledge as a pastry chef and experience as a head chef to write articles that are engaging and helpful while being as entertaining as possible.

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