Go Back
Green salad with pear, chickpeas, mozzarella and creamy pink dressing.
Emilia

Green Salad with Pear, Chickpeas, Mozzarella & Creamy Pink Dressing

This easy green salad with pear, chickpeas and mozzarella is a colorful, festive harvest salad with spiced chickpeas, juicy pear, walnuts and a creamy pink dressing.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients
  

For the salad:
  • 1½ cups 70 g romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup loosely packed 20 g fresh arugula (rocket)
  • ½ medium 80 g firm, ripe pear, thinly sliced
  • 1 small 50 g carrot, cut into very thin rounds
  • ½ cup 80 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2½ oz 70 g fresh mozzarella, cut into rounds and torn into pieces
  • 2 tablespoon 16 g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon 6 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
For the spiced chickpeas:
  • ¾ cup 120 g canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and thoroughly dried
  • ⅓ cup 40 g red onion, thinly sliced into circles
  • 2 teaspoon 10 ml olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ⅛ teaspoon hot paprika or less to taste
  • 2 pinches salt
For the creamy pink dressing:
  • 5 oz 140 g cooked beetroot, baked and cooled
  • ½ cup 120 g plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon 10 ml olive oil
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 2 to 4 teaspoon water as needed
  • 1 small drizzle of honey or maple syrup to taste Optional
  • 1 teaspoon mustard Optional

Method
 

  1. Soften the red onion. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a 10-inch (26 cm) skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red onion cut into thin circles and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Push the onion to the edge of the pan.
  2. Season and toss the chickpeas. Add the cumin, thyme, hot paprika and salt to the empty center of the pan. Add the very dry chickpeas and toss them on the hot pan for 5 to 7 minutes, until heated through and lightly golden. Keep the heat at medium or medium-low so the paprika doesn’t burn. Move everything to a bowl.
  3. Slice the vegetables. Cut the carrot into very fine rounds or small pieces. A mandoline gives the best, most delicate effect. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the pear thinly. Add the carrots to the warm chickpeas and onions so they soak up the aroma of the spices. If you cut the carrots thicker, roast them in the pan together with the chickpeas for a few minutes so they stay crisp but are not hard.
  4. Blend the pink dressing. Blend the cooked beetroot, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt until completely smooth. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dressing is creamy and easy to drizzle. Taste and adjust the salt or vinegar. If you like it sweeter, add a small drizzle of honey or maple syrup, to your taste. Discover how to easily bake beets in foil with my foolproof, step-by-step recipe: Easy Oven Roasted Beets in Foil.
  5. Arrange the salad. Break the romaine into pieces. Fan the nice outer leaves around the edge of each plate and place the rest in the center, then top with arugula. Add the chickpeas with onions and carrots. Cut the mozzarella into rounds, then tear them with your hands into smaller pieces. Scatter the mozzarella and halved tomatoes over the top and fan the pear slices on one side.
  6. Finish and serve. Spoon the pink dressing over the salad in circles or thin ribbons just before serving. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and fresh parsley.

Video