Roasted Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

• I have a long love affair with goat cheese salads. So here I am to share one of my favorites. This salad is packed with goodies like roasted pears, goat cheese, honey, pine nuts and green salad mix, dressed with a balsamic vinegar-honey dressing.
• Roasting the pears with the butter and honey, caramelizes the fruit and brings out an amazing flavor. Make sure to reduce the balsamic vinegar, this will alter the tangy flavor into a sweet one. This salad is going on my all- the time favorite list.
• You can customize the salad to your liking. The recipe  works equally well with apples, and you can substitute the salad green with baby arugula for a peppery flavor!
• The dressing can be made 1 or two days in advance and stored in an air tight container in the fridge.

Assembling the salad is relatively quick but making the balsamic reduction will take some time, but really so worth it. The lovely dressing here will be your new favorite, and you would love to use it in lots of salads!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of mixed salad greens
• 3 pears, peeled, each divided into quarters, cored and seeded
• 150 g. / 5 oz. goat cheese
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons honey

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• A pinch of salt
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. To reduce the balsamic vinegar: Place the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and reduce the balsamic until you have ¼ cup. Set aside to cool down.
3. For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, black pepper and salt. Your dressing is now ready.
4. To roast the pears: Mix together the melted butter and the 3 tablespoons of honey.
5. Place the pears on a baking sheet and brush the top of the pears with the butter-honey mix. Roast until the pears start to take on some color, about 15- 20 minutes.
6. Toss the mixed salad greens over a serving dish, top with the roasted pears. Add the crumbled cheese and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts and raisins. Drizzle the dressing over each serving.
7. If you have a sweet tooth, drizzle some more honey over your dish. Enjoy!