Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Prosciutto (Printable)

Vibrant salad combining bitter frisée, sweet pears, creamy blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto with tangy vinaigrette.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large head frisée lettuce, washed and torn
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
04 - 6 slices prosciutto
05 - 1 ounce toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

→ Vinaigrette

06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon honey
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange prosciutto slices in a single layer and bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Cool completely, then break into large shards.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine torn frisée, sliced pears, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped toasted walnuts.
04 - Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Top with crispy prosciutto shards immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrasts here—creamy cheese against crisp greens, salty prosciutto against sweet pear—feel sophisticated but come together in 25 minutes.
  • Once you nail the honey-mustard vinaigrette, you'll find yourself making it for salads all season long.
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people think you've spent all afternoon cooking when you've barely touched the stove.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than a few minutes before serving, or the frisée will begin to wilt and the prosciutto will soften—this salad has a short optimal window.
  • If your pears are slightly firm, slice them just before you dress the salad to prevent browning, and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice on the cut sides buys you a few extra minutes of time.
03 -
  • Make extra vinaigrette and keep it in a jar—it's perfect for dressing everything from roasted vegetables to grilled chicken, and tastes better the next day.
  • If you're serving a crowd, dress individual portions only when people are ready to eat, or toss the salad base and add the prosciutto and vinaigrette tableside for a little theater.
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