Fall Salad

This is the autumn salad that turns up at every good dinner party, and for good reason: it plays sweet, bitter, and savory against each other in every forkful. Sweet, juicy pears, pleasantly bitter chicory greens, crunchy walnuts, and salty, creamy Gorgonzola, it is a balance that just works.

A couple of small touches lift it above the ordinary. The vinaigrette uses walnut oil alongside olive oil, echoing the nuts and adding a deep, toasty richness, plus a delicate champagne or pear vinegar for brightness.

There’s a smart technique here too: the greens and the pears get dressed separately, so the leaves stay crisp and lightly coated while the pears soak up a little vinaigrette of their own.

Toast the walnuts if they aren’t fresh, scatter everything with chervil, and finish with cracked pepper for a salad that feels effortless yet refined.

Chef Tips

• Dress the greens and pears separately so the leaves stay crisp and the pears get their own coating of vinaigrette.
• Toast the walnuts in a little walnut oil if they aren’t super fresh; it revives their flavor and crunch.
• Use ripe but firm pears like Bartlett or Comice so the slices hold their shape.
• Balance the vinaigrette to taste, starting with less vinegar, since walnut oil is rich.

Variations

• Swap the Gorgonzola for another blue, or for shaved Parmesan or goat cheese.
• Use pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts.
• Add thinly sliced fennel or a handful of dried cranberries.