I was never a salad eater until I discovered the joy of matching salad greens with fruit. Now, whenever I spot a salad recipe with fruit in it, I pounce on it.
This particular recipe – Warm Roasted Pear, Fennel & Blue Cheese Salad – is from New Zealand’s Food magazine (Jun/Jul 201, Issue 71) and looked absolutely tantalising. I couldn’t wait to try it out.
Pears and blue cheese are truly a match made in heaven. Fennel bulb was a first for me, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but I really loved it – the texture is a little like celery, and it has a surprisingly subtle licorice taste to it – a nice compliment to the rest of the salad. I’m totally sold.

WARM ROASTED PEAR, FENNEL & BLUE CHEESE SALAD
Ingredients
For the salad
- ¼ cup runny honey
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 small ripe but firm pears, cored and quartered
- 1 medium fennel bulb, sliced
- Salad greens of your choice
- 80 g creamy blue cheese
- Optional: Chopped walnuts
For the salad dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp runny honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and line a roasting tray with baking paper.
- Mix the honey, olive oil and seasoning in a bowl and toss with the pears and fennel to coat them evenly.
- Arrange the pears and fennel on the prepared tray in a single layer and roast them in the oven for 12-15 minutes, tossing them once, until the pears are softened and glazed. Set the pears aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Arrange the salad greens on a serving platter and top with the roasted pears and fennel. Dot the salad with slices of blue cheese.
- Whisk the oil, lemon juice and extra honey together and season to taste. Spoon the dressing over the salad just before serving.
Wow, this looks really nice, it seems easy to do and really yummy, a great summer recipe !!! 🙂
Yeah, I originally found it in a Christmas issue magazine (which is our summer), but here I am trying it out in the middle of winter!
I think this salad is perfect every season! 🙂
Best wishes,
Alice