Vegan Roasted Pear Ricotta Walnut Salad! It’s the perfect cold + warm contrast salad, elegant on the plate, and surprisingly simple to pull off for a weeknight dinner, a brunch spread, or a holiday side that guests will talk about.
This Vegan Roasted Pear Ricotta Walnut Salad is the kind of dish that feels fancy without demanding fancy skills: think warm, maplel-kissed pears piled over crisp baby arugula, finished with dollops of creamy vegan ricotta and a shower of hearty walnuts for satisfying crunch. The pears are stovetop roasted until tender and lightly coated with maple syrup, then they’re spooned onto a bed of peppery greens. Next comes the “wow” factor: vegan ricotta for creaminess, walnuts for texture, and a balsamic dressing that ties everything together with tangy-sweet flavor.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Honestly, this one looks elegant but is ridiculously easy to make, and we devoured it. We were inspired by Chef Zouheir, and we loved how the flavors turned out even better than expected: the warm pears bring cozy sweetness, while the cold arugula stays bright and crisp, and the vegan ricotta adds that creamy, restaurant-style finish.
If you’re craving a salad that feels special yet takes minimal effort, you gotta give this one a try; t’s a “make it again immediately” kind of recipe.
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Vegan Roasted Pear Ricotta Walnut Salad is a delicious blend of cold and warm ingredients. Stovetop roasted pears are lightly coated in maple syrup laid in a bed of baby arugula, dolloped with vegan ricotta and hearty walnuts, then drizzled with a tasty balsamic Dijon dressing that looks elegant, but is easy to make.
- Dijon Mustard: Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of Dijon mustard to meet your desired level of tang.
- Water: If you find the dressing is too thick, add a tiny bit of water to thin out.
- Pears: We used Bosc pears. Feel free to use your favorite ripe pears. Do not use overripe pears or they will fall apart in the skillet and end up mushy.
- Number of Pears: If you have large pears, use 2. If you have small pears, use 3.
- Walnuts: You can toast the walnuts if you wish for extra nutty flavor. We did not.
- Baby Arugula: We used baby arugula; it’s slightly peppery bite works well with the caramelized pears.
- Vegan Ricotta: We used Kite Hill Ricotta simply for convenience. You can make your own. We have a Vegan Ricotta recipe or use your favorite vegan ricotta recipe or store brand.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 3 days in the refrigerator, undressed. Store in a covered air-tight container.
This salad does not freeze well.
Pantry Products:
- Dijon Mustard: We used Koops Dijon Mustard. Feel free to use your favorite Dijon mustard.
- Tahini: We used Ziyad Premium Tahini (Sesame Paste). Feel free to use your favorite brand of tahini.
- Vegan Ricotta: We used Kite Hill Vegan Ricotta. Feel free to use your favorite vegan ricotta recipe or store brand.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Whisk (or fork)
- Large skillet
If you try this wholesome and flavorful salad, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Vegan Roasted Pear Ricotta Walnut Salad
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5-7 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Roasted Pear Ricotta Walnut Salad is the kind of dish that feels fancy without demanding fancy skills.
Inspired By Chef Zouheir
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons tahini *
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard *
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Skillet Ingredients
- 2 to 3 ripe pears, cut into wedges
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided *
- 2 Tablespoons water
Salad Ingredients
- 1 – [ 5 oz. package ] baby arugula
- ½ to 2/3 cup vegan ricotta *
- 2/3 cup walnuts, rough chop
Instructions
- Place all the Dressing Ingredients into small bowl, whisk vigorously until smooth and emulsified, set aside.
- Cut the pears into wedges, lengthwise, remove the core.
- In a large skillet, place 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of water, stir to mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately lower to medium. Place all the pear wedges into the skillet, cut-side-down. Cook until the water has started to evaporate (several minutes), then add the additional 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup. Continue to cook, turning the pears over to lightly caramelize all the cut-sides of the pear wedges. When all the pears are lightly golden and slightly caramelized, gently remove from the skillet and onto a plate and set aside to slightly cool.
- Place the baby arugula into a large bowl. Drizzle in approximately half of the dressing and toss to coat all the arugula, then place onto a serving platter.
- Add the warm caramelized pears on top, then dollop the vegan ricotta in various places throughout.
- Place the chopped walnuts into a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the dressing and toss around until all the walnuts are thoroughly coated, then scatter over top of the salad.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Products Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Equipment Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Servings: 4
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