Watercress and Endive Salad With Pears and Roquefort

By Martha Rose Shulman

Published December 28, 2010

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 10 minutes
Rating
5(114)
Comments
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Pears go wonderfully with all types of blue cheese, whether Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola or an American blue such as Maytag.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves four

  • 1 large, ripe but firm Comice or Bartlett pear

  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons pecans 1 ounce, lightly toasted

  • 1 bunch watercress, trimmed about 4 ounces

  • 2 endives, broken into leaves

  • 2 ounces Roquefort, Stilton or another blue cheese, crumbled

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

  • 1 tablespoon sherry or Champagne vinegar

  • ½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste

  • Salt

  • freshly ground pepper

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon walnut oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

10 grams carbs; 11 milligrams cholesterol; 232 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 319 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel, core and thinly slice the pear. Cut the slices in half so they’re not too long. Toss with the lime juice.

  2. Step 2

    Combine the pears, pecans, watercress, endive, blue cheese and tarragon in a large bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil and walnut oil. Toss with the salad, and serve.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: You can prepare all of the ingredients except the pears several hours ahead of serving. Prepare the pears and toss the salad shortly before serving.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
114 user ratings
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Comments

Cora

have made this over and over again across the years. A perfect recipe, the tarragon and sherry vinegar adding subtle notes. I have no pears today so making it with thinly sliced apple, but sure it will be almost as good.

Angela

Thought the dressing would have benefitted from a touch of sweetener - honey or maple syrup. Otherwise, this recipe was great. I used spring mix instead of endive and watercress and now I understand why the recipe asks for the pear to be peeled. But it would have been fine to leave the peel on with the spring mix.

Emily

I was excited about the tarragon, but it turned out to be a bit overwhelming. I’d reduce the amount next time. Agree with another reviewer to add honey to the vinaigrette. It was overall a hit at a diner party.

Meinmunich

No walnut oil, so I cooked walnuts in olive oil, then drained the walnuts to use instead of pecans. Used the oil steeped for dressing. Delicious winter salad.

Angela

Thought the dressing would have benefitted from a touch of sweetener - honey or maple syrup. Otherwise, this recipe was great. I used spring mix instead of endive and watercress and now I understand why the recipe asks for the pear to be peeled. But it would have been fine to leave the peel on with the spring mix.

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