Roasted Pears With Cranberries, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Roasted Pears with cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts served over a bed of fresh arugula is a simple yet impressive recipe. This easy roasted pears salad is the perfect appetizer or salad any time of the year. 

Roasted pear with blue cheese, cranberries and walnuts sitting on a bed of arugula on a plate.

A simple yet impressive salad is the perfect addition to any meal. We love serving these roasted pears over a simple bed of arugula to create a delicious salad or appetizer dish. These roasted pears are stuffed with dried cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts before they are baked with a subtly sweet cider and port wine sauce. This dish is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving, Christmas or holiday menu.

Making roasted pears with cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts.

How to make roasted pears

Follow a few easy steps to make this simple salad that is light, fresh and slightly sweet.

  • First, prepare the pears by peeling, slicing in half, removing the core and removing the seeds. Use a knife to trim a small slice away from the rounded backside of each pear half so that they will sit in a baking dish without tipping over.
  • Next, toss the pears with lemon juice and place them core side up in a baking dish.
  • In a small bowl, combine cider, port wine and brown sugar. Stir to combine and pour the mixture over and around the pears.
  • Bake the pears for 30 minutes.
  • Once the pears are baked, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Add arugula to the bowl and toss.
  • Serve the baked pears over the arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired.

four roasted pears sitting on a plate of arugula

While this salad is relatively simple, it makes an impressive dish for a dinner party or holiday event. And if you love pear recipes, try one of our favorite pear recipes below.

Pear recipes

Roasted pear with blue cheese, cranberries and walnuts sitting on a bed of arugula on a plate.

Roasted Pears with Cranberries, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Roasted Pears with cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts served over a bed of fresh arugula is a simple yet impressive recipe.
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients 

  • 3 ripe D'Anjou pears, peeled and sliced lengthwise into halves
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
  • 3 ounces blue cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoon port wine
  • 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 ounces baby arugula
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Using a paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear. Trim a small slice away from the rounded backside of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without tipping over. Toss the pears with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Place pears, core side up, in baking dish that is just large enough to hold the pears snugly.
  • In a small bowl, combine the blue cheese, cranberries and walnuts; toss to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
  • In the same small bowl, combine the cider, port, and brown sugar; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears for 30 minutes, or until tender. While baking, occasionally spoon some of the basting liquid over the pears. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid. Add the arugula; toss well. Divide the arugula among 6 small plates and top each with a pear. Drizzle each pear with any excess basting liquid, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

  • We love D'Anjou pears the best for this recipe because their texture is great for baking, but you can use another type of pear. 
  • If you can't find port wine, you can use a sweet red wine instead, such as Merlot, Shiraz or Chianti.
  • You can omit the blue cheese or substitute it for feta or goat cheese.
Source: This recipe was slightly adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Nutrition

Serving: 6g, Calories: 283kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 210mg, Potassium: 321mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 805IU, Vitamin C: 16.1mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 0.8mg
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Ashley C.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review below or share a photo and tag @spoonfulofflavor on Instagram.

3 comments on “Roasted Pears With Cranberries, Blue Cheese and Walnuts”

  1. This is the second recipe of yours that I’ve made and both have turned out amazing and were a hit:) I’ve been making a pear salad for years with raw pear but using baked pear – wow, brings out the sweetness so much more. Thanks:)

  2. This is the perfect fall appetizer! I love the combination of sweet and savory!

  3. This is such an elegant dish! I love the sweet and tangy flavors of the pears and blue cheese together!

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