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Home » Salad » Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

Published: Sep 7, 2020 · Modified: Oct 12, 2020 by Ashley Lecker · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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salad with dressing poured on top
salad with dressing poured on top

Fresh mixed greens mixed with dried cranberries, roasted butternut squash, blue cheese, grilled apples and grilled pears. Topped with a homemade maple vinaigrette dressing. Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette is a perfect fall salad everyone will love.

salad with dressing poured on top

This week I am celebrating fall flavors with a bunch of friends. At the end of this post, just past the recipe, you will find a listing fall inspired recipes and a fun giveaway from the event sponsors.

There is a local restaurant that has a salad featuring grilled fruits and a maple dressing. The salad has always screamed fall to me and I decided that I needed to make my own version using my favorite fall flavors.

My Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette has a few basic steps and lead to a salad you will crave!

This salad uses dried tart cranberries, roasted butternut squash, crumbled blue cheese all tossed with a fresh green mix. The salad is topped with sliced grilled apples and pears and finished with a homemade maple walnut dressing.

The flavors mix so well and there textures are delicious. I love that sweet squash mixed with the tart cranberries and tangy cheese. The grilled fruit gives a great twist to raw apples and pears. There is a slight smokey flavor to the salad, and the dressing is both sweet, nutty, and tangy.

overhead picture of the salad

Ingredients

  • Mixed Greens
  • Dried Cranberries
  • Butternut Squash
  • Blue Cheese Crumbles
  • Apples - I recommend a firm tart apple
  • Pears - a ripe pear works best, but not too soft because it needs to hold up on the grill
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Walnut Pieces
  • Maple Syrup
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Mini Blender - for the dressing. If you do not have one the walnuts can be purchased ground.
  • Baking Sheet
salad in a bowl with grilled apples and pears

How To Cut A Butternut Squash

  1. Cut the top and bottom off the squash
  2. Slice the squash in half
  3. Using a heavy duty peeler, peel the skin from the outside of the butternut squash
  4. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and strings
  5. Slice the squash into strips
  6. Cut the squash into square pieces
  7. For roasting, toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and a little cinnamon.
  8. Roast at 375°F for 30 minutes

Butternut squash is naturally very nutritious. It is high in vitamin A and C, and is naturally sweet. A little sweetness goes a long way when seasoning the squash. I love a simple combination of salt, pepper, brown sugar, and cinnamon for this salad, but other seasoning that I love are curry powder, chili powder, or maple.

  • halved squash
    1.
  • halved squash
    2.
  • 3.
  • halved squash
    4.
  • chopped squash
    5.
  • chopped squash
    6.
  • chopped squash
    7.
  • chopped squash
    8.

How To Make Vinaigrette

  1. Place walnut pieces in blender
  2. Add maple syrup
  3. Next, add apple cider vinegar
  4. Add olive oil, salt, ginger, and pepper
  5. Blend till smooth

Vinaigrette Tips

The dressing for my Grilled Apple and Pear Salad is made with olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, walnuts, salt, and pepper.

Traditionally, a vinaigrette will have oil and vinegar. I also use maple in this recipe for sweetness. The walnuts in the dressing make it thick when ground and I find a little water thins the dressing and allows it to retain flavor.

Making your own dressing is easy and cost-effective! Homemade vinaigrette keeps 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator and is worth the few minutes it take to make.

I use apple cider vinegar in this recipe but other great options for vinegar include:

Red Wine Vinegar
White Wine Vinegar
Champagne Vinegar
Sherry Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar

  • maple walnut dressing preparation
    1.
  • maple walnut dressing preparation
    2.
  • maple walnut dressing preparation
    3.
  • maple walnut dressing preparation
    4.
  • maple walnut dressing is a serving glass
    5.

Assembly Instructions

  1. Place greens in a bowl.
  2. Top with dried cranberries.
  3. Add roasted butternut squash.
  4. Sprinkle with blue cheese.
  5. Add grilled apples and pears. Drizzle dressing over the top.
  • bowl of salad greens
    1.
  • salad with cranberries
    2.
  • salad with squash and cranberries
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  • salad with squash, blue cheese, and cranberries
    4.
  • completed salad with all ingredients
    5.

Grilling Fruit

Grilling apples and pears is a great way to add a flavor to sweet fruit. For this recipe, I slice the apples and pears ¼ -½ inch in thickness. I heat the grill on medium heat and simple grill the fruit 1-2 minutes per side.

I do not add additional oil or seasoning to the fruit before grilling.

The apples and pears, like the squash, can be made in advance making for an easy salad preparation when you are ready to eat.

  • salad in a bowl with grilled pears
  • salad in a bowl with grilled apples

If you’ve tried my Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette or any other recipe on Cheese Curd In Paradise please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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salad on a fork

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salad in a bowl with grilled apples and pears

Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 2 large salads

Ingredients
 
 

For Salad

  • 6 cups Mixed Greens
  • ¼ cup Dried Cranberries
  • ½ cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Pear

For Squash

  • 1 Medium Butternut Squash
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar

For Vinaigrette

  • 2 ½ tablespoon Walnut Pieces
  • 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

Butternut Squash

  • Cut the top and bottom off the squash. Slice the squash in half.
  • Using a heavy duty peeler, peel the skin from the outside of the butternut squash. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and strings.
  • Slice the squash into strips. Cut the squash into square pieces. For roasting, toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and a little cinnamon. Roast at 375°F for 30 minutes

Grilled Apples and Pears

  • Slice the apples and pears ¼ -½ inch in thickness. Heat the grill on medium heat and simple grill the fruit 1-2 minutes per side.

Vinaigrette

  • Place walnut pieces in blender
  • Add maple syrup
  • Next, add apple cider vinegar
  • Add olive oil, salt, ginger, and pepper
  • Blend till smooth

Salad Assembly

  • Place greens in a bowl.
  • Top with dried cranberries.
  • Add roasted butternut squash.
  • Sprinkle with blue cheese.
  • Add grilled apples and pears.
  • Drizzle dressing over the top.
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see it! Mention @CheeseCurdInParadise or tag #cheesecurdinparadise on Instagram!

Cheese Curd In Paradise uses affiliate links. These links are at no additional cost to the reader and/or user. However, Cheese Curd In Paradise will make commission is you click the link AND make a purchase.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wendy Klik

    September 07, 2020 at 7:29 am

    I love the fact that you grilled the fruit for this gorgeous salad. Way to eat a rainbow!! And the addition of blue cheese makes my heart sing.

    Reply
  2. Lisa Kerhin

    September 07, 2020 at 8:31 am

    Not sure what I love more, the salad or the dressing!

    Reply
  3. Hezzi-D

    September 07, 2020 at 9:12 am

    Love that you grilled the apples and the pears! What a great addition. Plus, that butternut squash sounds so good!

    Reply
  4. Cindy

    September 07, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    Definitely fall in a bowl!

    Reply
  5. Amy (Savory Moments)

    September 07, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    This is such a lovely and flavorful salad and it definitely does scream fall!

    Reply
  6. Jolene

    September 08, 2020 at 8:55 am

    As a New England girl, that maple dressing has my name all over it!

    Reply
  7. Karen

    September 08, 2020 at 11:42 am

    I love every aspect of this salad! The dressing sounds divine.

    Reply
  8. Inger@artofnaturalliving.com

    September 13, 2020 at 10:38 am

    This sounds so healthy and tasty! What a beautiful combo of fall flavors!

    Reply
  9. Christie

    September 20, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    I have not grilled apples or pears, but you can bet I will now!! That salad looks super delicious and perfect for dinner or a side salad.

    Reply
  10. Jill

    December 18, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    Can I sub almond flour for the walnuts?

    Reply

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Hi, I am Ashley. I am a busy mom and wife working to make family, food, and life an adventure!

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