Green Salad with Candied Walnuts + Fresh Pears

You are going to love this Simple Green Salad with healthy-ish CANDIED WALNUTS & FRESH PEARS.

It’s savory, tangy, sweet, tart and oh so yummy!

And because it’s so simple, this salad goes with just about anything— making a basic meal feel Fall-like and special, and working equally well on a Thanksgiving table!

The details… A big bowl of greens, crisp pear slices, tart dried cranberries and MY FAVE easy & “healthier” Candied Walnuts all tossed in a tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette.

It’s a great mix and balance of flavors and textures.

The Candied Walnuts make the salad in in my opinion.

They are addictively delicious!

And they are a healthier version of the classic, made with just 5 ingredients: walnuts, coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon.

And they come together in about 10 minutes.

First you toast the walnuts for 4 minutes.

While they toast, you whisk together the other ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix the toasted walnuts with the other ingredients, then place them back in the oven for 6 minutes.  That’s it!

The walnuts are a perfect thing to meal prep whenever you have 10 minutes because they store well at room temp for several days.

And the balsamic vinaigrette comes together in minutes!

All you need to do is whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallots, dijon mustard and a pinch of salt.

You can make everything ahead of time and just mix it together when ready to eat.

Because this salad is so simple, it’s a perfect side salad.

It goes with just about anything.

We like to make it on days we have a simple pasta or order in pizza. But you could just as easily serve it at brunch or at a holiday table.

It’s also very adaptable, use cranberries in place of cherries. Or pecans in place of walnuts. If you eat dairy, feel free to add in some goat cheese.

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker.

Hope you love it as much as we do!

Scroll down to see the recipe and leave a comment if you try.