Asian Pear Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Name: Asian Pear Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 large ripe Asian pear; 1 large avocado; 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame; 5 oz arugula; 1/3 cup goat cheese; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp honey; 1 tbsp shallot, diced; Pinch of salt

posted by Alex Aldeborgh on Jan 3, 2022 (last updated 3/10/22) 0 comments »

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This Asian pear salad is the perfect light and refreshing lunch or dinner dish. It packs several nutritious and delicious ingredients, like asian pear, edamame, and avocado. Tossed in a zippy apple cider vinaigrette, it’s ready to eat in 15 minutes!

Large bowl of asian pear salad with gold serving spoons, with an asian pear, small bowl of sesame seeds, and small jar of dressing surrounding

As a Registered Dietitian, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I love salad recipes. Serving a salad with a meal is an easy way to add more vegetables to your diet, and salads do not have to be boring! To make salads more interesting, I love to add unexpected ingredients. This asian pear salad recipe has a wonderful variety of textures and flavors – and is one of my favorite ways to use asian pears.

This recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, and nut free. It serves 4-6 people as a side dish.

What are asian pears?

Asian pears are a type of pear fruit that originate from Eastern Asia. You may also see them sold as Japanese pears, Chinese pears, or Korean pears. Asian pears are more round than European pears, and can grow quite large.

Asian pears have a crisp and crunchy texture with a high water content, making them super juicy. They are usually served raw (peeled or unpeeled), and are not typically used to make jams or pies.

Ingredients in Asian pear salad

Everything you need to make this green arugula salad is listed below:

Asian pear
Arugula
Edamame (shelled and cooked)
Avocado
Goat Cheese
Sesame seeds
Apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Honey
Shallot
Salt

Ingredient and dietary restriction substitution suggestions

Make it vegan: Eliminate the goat cheese from the recipe.
Substitution for Asian pear: If you cannot find Asian pears, try using Bosc pear or Honeycrisp apple as a replacement.
Substitution for apple cider vinegar: You can use lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for a similar dressing.
Arugula substitution: If you prefer not to use arugula, you can make this salad with spring greens, baby spinach, or baby kale.

Asian pear salad ingredients measured out on a wooden cutting board

Step by step instructions

Slice the asian pear and avocado into thin slices.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients: apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, minced shallot, and salt.

Assemble the salad in a large salad bowl: arugula, sliced asian pear, sliced avocado, edamame, crumbled goat cheese, and sesame seeds.

Toss the salad in the dressing right before serving and enjoy!

Storage: This salad is best eaten the day it is assembled. You can prepare the salad a few hours ahead of eating and store it covered in the fridge, and add the dressing right before eating.

Serving suggestions

Pair this salad with your favorite protein to make it a more filling and balanced meal, such as salmon, tofu, or shrimp.

To make this salad feel heartier and more filling on it’s own, you can add a cooked whole grain such as quinoa or farro. Just be sure to let the grains cool completely before adding to the salad, otherwise the arugula will wilt!

Large bowl of asian pear salad with gold serving spoons, with an asian pear and small jar of dressing in the background

Asian pear nutrition benefits

Asian pears contain several nutrients that can provide health benefits. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber – one asian pear provides 9.9 grams, or 35 percent of your daily needs! In addition to dietary fiber, asian pears are a source of micronutrients, including:

Potassium
B Vitamins
Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Copper
Magnesium

Edamame nutrition benefits

Edamame, or soybeans, are an excellent source of plant-based protein. One cup of cooked edamame provides 18 grams of protein! You also get several other nutrients from edamame, including:

8 grams of dietary fiber (29 percent of your daily needs)
98 mg calcium (8 percent of your daily needs)
3.5 mg iron (19 percent of your daily needs)
457.6 mcg folate (114 percent of your daily needs)
45.1 mcg Vitamin K (38 percent of your daily needs)
99.2 mg magnesium (25 percent of your daily needs)
2.13 mg zinc (19 percent of your daily needs)

Soy products like edamame contain compounds called Isoflavones. These compounds have antioxidant qualities that fight inflammation and can help protect against certain diseases, including breast and prostate cancers.

Large bowl of asian pear arugula salad on a grey backdrop

Avocado nutrition benefits

Avocado is one of the best food sources of healthy fats. A majority of the fat in avocado comes from monounsaturated fatty acids. Diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids can improve heart disease risk factors.

In addition, avocados are filled with other nutrients. One avocado contains:

10 grams of dietary fiber (36 percent of your daily needs)
3 grams of plant-based protein
728 mg potassium (15 percent of your daily needs)
121.5 mcg folate (30 percent of your daily needs)
15 mg Vitamin C (17 percent of your daily needs)
3.10 mg Vitamin E (14 percent of your daily needs)
31.5 mcg Vitamin K (26 percent of your daily needs)
0.28 mg copper (31 percent of your daily needs)

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!