This asian pear and walnut salad with maple mustard vinaigrette is fall salad GOALS. Made with tender salad greens, thinly sliced asian pear, toasted walnuts, sweet pomegranate seeds, and a zippy maple mustard vinaigrette that you’ll want to put on everything.

This asian pear and walnut salad with a maple mustard vinaigrette is fall salad DREAMS. Made with tender salad greens, thinly sliced asian pear, toasted walnuts, sweet pomegranate seeds, and a zippy maple mustard vinaigrette that you'll want to put on everything.

asian pear and walnut salad with maple mustard vinaigrette

Say hello to your new favorite fall salad!

This one is a straight up GEM, y’all.

Tender greens, crisp and sweet asian pears (currently OBSESSED), crunchy toasted walnuts, bright and colorful pomegranate seeds and OF COURSE a delicious maple mustard vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar for those extra fall vibes.

This salad not only seriously crave-able but also so so easy to assemble.

Because even though the temps are dropping I have zero plans to stop eating salad.

As the weather gets cooler our kitchen has been filling up with the smell of roasting veggies and simmering soups more and more frequently. It feels so GOOD to be trending back toward comfort food – my default style of cooking.

I’m pretty sure that’s the Wisconsin girl in me.

This time of year is not always easy to adjust to but I really feel like embracing the cozy vibes in the kitchen helps. Some call it Hygge – the art of mindfully enjoying the simple pleasures in life, and I’m all about it.

It can be challenging because colder weather and shorter days force us to take a step back from the go-go-go of summer and instead spend more time just “being” inside our homes and ourselves.

Less distraction and more introspection tend to be the theme of this season. You guys feel it, too?

I take comfort in filling my time with the methodical, almost meditative routines of cooking + making + creating at home.

Maybe to the point of excess as our refrigerator is literally overflowing with all my “recipe testing” and dinner leftovers. But at least no one is going hungry?

where this fall asian pear and walnut salad with maple mustard vinaigrette fits on your dinner table

Just because the weather is getting cooler and cooking routines are changing doesn’t mean you dinners need to get more complicated. You can still keep things pretty simple as long as you’re starting with yummy ingredients.

These days my default dinner formula goes something like this:

Start some vegetables roasting in the oven – carrots, beets, sweet potatoes or brussel sprouts – thoroughly coated in ghee, coconut oil or avocado oil with a generous sprinkle of salt + your favorite spices
Pan sear a protein of choice – chicken, steak, seafood, or pork chops
Toss a salad full of yummy seasonal fruits and vegetables with some toasted nuts for added crunch and flavor

BOOM. Complete dinner full of flavor and all the yummy things. Easy formula, totally adaptable, and completely approachable.

Step 3 is where this asian pear and walnut salad with maple mustard vinaigrette comes in.

what’s up with asian pears though?

If you haven’t ever tried an asian pear, or haven’t grabbed one off the shelf yet this season I’m BEGGING you to go do it now! They have been insaaaanely delicious this year – more than I ever remember them being in years past.

They’re crunchy, aromatic and sweet – like are-you-sure-this-is-fruit-and-not-candy sweet.

But don’t fret – if you can’t find asian pears at your local store another pear of any kind – or even an apple – would be a totally delicious substitute.

And even though pomegranates are just slowly starting to make their way to the grocery store shelves, try and seek them out for this recipe.

A quick modification option: If you want to make this salad a little more substantial, the addition of some cooked quinoa, or a cooked protein like chicken would work great. You can also swap the tender greens out for heartier kale. If you decide to go the kale route, add the dressing to the raw kale pieces BEFORE you add any of the other ingredients. Massage the kale until tender for a minute or so, then add the pear, pomegranate and walnuts and toss together before serving.