Frisée, Pear, Blue Cheese, Prosciutto Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant salad combining bitter frisée, sweet pears, creamy blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto with tangy vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large head frisée lettuce, washed and torn
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 oz blue cheese, crumbled
04 - 6 slices prosciutto
05 - 1 oz toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

→ Vinaigrette

06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon honey
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange prosciutto slices in a single layer on the prepared sheet.
02 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then break into large shards.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - In a large salad bowl, combine torn frisée, sliced pears, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
05 - Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Top the salad with crispy prosciutto shards immediately before serving to maintain crispness.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The textures play off each other so well that every bite feels different.
  • It's one of those salads that actually fills you up without feeling heavy.
  • You can prep most of it ahead and toss it together right before serving.
  • The crispy prosciutto trick makes everyone think you went to culinary school.
02 -
  • If you add the prosciutto too early, it will get soggy and lose that satisfying crunch.
  • Don't overdress the salad, you can always add more vinaigrette but you can't take it back once it's pooling at the bottom.
  • Use pears that are ripe but not mushy, or they'll fall apart when you toss the salad.
03 -
  • Let the prosciutto cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking it apart, it crisps up more as it sits.
  • Toss the pear slices in a tiny bit of lemon juice if you're prepping them early so they don't turn brown.
  • Serve the salad on chilled plates, it keeps everything fresh and crisp just a little bit longer.
Go Back