Spinach Salad with Pear, Parnsips, Walnuts & Blue Cheese
A warm, nutty, and slightly sweet spinach salad featuring roasted parsnips, pear, creamy blue cheese, crunchy walnuts, and a Dijon-honey dressing. Perfect for any occasion and ready in just over 30 minutes!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 500 g parsnips, peeled and cut into evenly sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for roasting
- 100 g baby spinach (or salad greens of your choice)
- 1 large pear (firm but ripe), cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
- 80 g blue cheese, crumbled
- 50 g walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
For the dressing:
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
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Roast the parsnips: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread the parsnip pieces on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and golden. Let cool slightly.
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Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, cumin, honey (or maple syrup), and olive oil until smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Assemble the salad: In a large serving bowl, combine the spinach, pear slices, and roasted parsnips. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat.
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Add the toppings: Sprinkle over the blue cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts. Toss gently to incorporate, check the seasoning, and adjust as needed.
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Serve and enjoy!
Notes
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.