December may be a month dominated by the holidays, but did you know that it’s also Pear Month? This lovely winter salad is festive enough for any holiday table and it offers the spotlight to the fruit of the month as well.
A Holiday Salad for Pear Month
Ingredients
- 4 Cups mixed baby lettuce washed and chopped
- 1/4 Cup dried figs quartered
- 1/4 Cup dried raisins and cranberries
- 1 pear cored and sliced
- Balsamic vinegar to taste
- Drizzle of olive oil
- black pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon toasted almond slices
Instructions
- Mix the lettuce with the figs, dried fruit, pear, vinegar, oil, and pepper. Place on plates and top with toasted almonds.
Notes
Nutrition Information: This recipe serves 4. Each 1 and 1/4 cup serving contains 108 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 15 g sugars, and 2 g protein. Each serving also has 42% DV vitamin A, 5% DV vitamin C, 4% DV calcium, and 5% DV iron.
Chef's tips: This is a great salad for winter, when pears are in season. Serve it at your next holiday gathering! Dried fruits and nuts add flavor, texture, and color to a salad. They are often high in nutrients, but they are also high in calories. Exercise portion control whenever you make them a part of your meals.
Holiday serving idea: Holiday Wreath Salad.
Safety tip: Why you need to wash your lettuce.
Pear Facts: Pears ripen from the inside out, instead of from the outside in. When you’re at the grocery store or farmers’ market, choose firm, heavy pears and let them ripen at home for a day or two. There are more than 3,000 varieties of pears. Pears and roses are related.
Copyright foodandhealth.com, reprinted with permission.