It is never too early to start thinking about your holiday menu, and we have a fresh, new recipe to elevate your traditional holiday dinner. It is easy for salads to slide under the radar during this time of the year – it is definitely not easy stacking up against turkey, prime rib, mashed potatoes and more. However, the rich, seasonal flavors and textures in this Winter Pear Salad with Artisan Lettuce is sure to compliment all your holiday favorites. 

We love salads because they can be customized to you and your families’ individual tastes. However, every great salad starts with a base of crisp lettuce. An essential base for this recipe is Tanimura & Antle’s Artisan® Lettuce – whose iconic red and green petite lettuce colors perfectly complement any holiday aesthetic. 

This Winter Pear Salad will look festive on your holiday table and the nutty, fresh, and tangy flavors are sure to please even the pickiest guests (cough cough, the kiddos).  

What Is In A Winter Pear Salad?

Tanimura & Antle Artisan® Lettuce:

Are you feeling indecisive about which lettuce variety to pick up at the grocery store? Tanimura & Antle’s Artisan® Lettuce includes four petite heads of carefully selected lettuce varieties chosen from six varieties – Each one having a distinct, complementary flavor.

With multiple variety options, the opportunities are endless for what you can create with Artisan Lettuce. Elevate your favorite recipes with these flavorful and fresh leafy greens. 

In addition to its versatility, Artisan Lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Calcium, and Potassium. One pack of Artsian Lettuce makes up to seven servings of delicious side salads and is an efficient way to feed your family and guests alike. 

You can learn more about Tanimura & Antle’s legacy of providing premium, fresh vegetables here.

Pears

One of our favorite things to do in the kitchen is to pair flavors with the season. Pears in winter recipes just make sense for a variety of reasons. Pears are a sweet and juicy fruit that adds a natural sweetness to a dish. In this Winter Pear Salad, they bring a subtle, refreshing contrast to the other ingredients. When ripe, their flesh is tender, and their skin can be left on for added texture and a hint of color. Pears are the perfect complement to the sharp and nutty elements in this recipe, creating a balance of flavors that will leave your taste buds craving more. Learn how to select and store pears here.

Sweetened Dried Cranberries

Dried cranberries are the vibrant, sweet jewels that elevate this salad to a new level of flavor and texture. Their sweet-tart burst of cranberry essence adds a delightful contrast to the crisp greens and tangy blue cheese. These ruby-red morsels provide a perfect balance to the salad’s savory elements, and add a touch of sweetness that matches the honey in the salad dressing. Sweetened, dried cranberries are the secret ingredient that transforms a simple salad into a festive and holiday-worthy side dish.

What should you do with those extra dried cranberries? Try these other recipes from The Produce Moms that incorporate Sweetened Dried Cranberries all season long.

Apple Fruit Bruschetta

Baked Brie with Pomegranates and Dried Cranberries

Delicata Squash and Dried Cranberry Salad

Candied Walnuts

Now, we all know that the key to a game-changing, holiday salad is the variety of textures and flavors – second only to how pretty it looks on your dining table. Adding candied walnuts to your Winter Pear Salad is the perfect way to add a satisfying crunch as well as a blend of sweetness and nuttiness. This irresistible crunch adds a nice contrast to the freshness of the Artisan Lettuce and the creaminess of the Blue Cheese Crumbles. 

We know that holiday cooking can be hectic. An added bonus to the legendary flavors of this recipe is how quick it is to assemble – take a look how simple this Winter Pear Salad in to assemble below:

How to Make a Winter Pear Salad

Chop Artisan Lettuce and transfer to a serving bowl.

Cut pears in half, core, and thinly slice. Then, add to a small bowl and coat with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper to create dressing.

In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese.

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.

Why We Chose Tanimura & Antle

Founded in 1982, Tanimura & Antle is an employee-owned family farming business with a four-generation legacy and a passionate commitment to growing premium quality produce.

Built on a partnership between two families, with a shared commitment to always value employees as its greatest asset, the founding families now share ownership with all employees — from farming and harvest crews to management — through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). 

As one of the largest independent vegetable growers in the United States, Tanimura & Antle farms more than 36,000 acres of rich, fertile farmland and ships a full line of premium fresh conventional and organic produce products nationwide. 

Tanimura & Antle keeps the Earth and their communities in mind at every stage of growing and shipping their premium fresh produce. By committing to innovation, they are committed to creating a more sustainable future for their employees, customers and the world. Tanimura & Antle’s goal is to solve industry-wide issues, decrease inputs and provide premium fresh produce to their customers and consumers nationwide.

You can learn more about the Tanimura & Antle Farming Heritage or their commitment to innovative farming techniques and sustainability over the last 100 years.

Be sure to add this Winter Pear Salad to your holiday menu this year, and look for other Tanimura & Antle premium produce items at your local grocery store!

More Festive Salads to Enjoy

• Apple Wreath Salad
• Celery Fennel Salad
• Fig Salad
• Nicoise Salad