Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad With Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I think this makes a perfect holiday salad. I will be making it for Thanksgiving and will report back. Source: Food52. com / brigidc's. This is her description of the salad. Sweet, salty, tart, crunchy and spicy, this salad has perfect flavor and texture balance. The inspiration was pomegranate molasses, which I learned about when I worked on a Persian food class. I like how the molasses takes the acidic edge off the vinaigrette but it is still tangy and delicious. Be sure to try this no fuss, no muss recipe Seeding a Pomegranate - Step by Step I made my own pomegranate molasses: Pomegranate Syrup or Molasses It's easy and can be reduced to make a smaller amount. It can be stored up to 6 months.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• VINAIGRETTE

• 1  large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
• 1  tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 2  tablespoons sherry wine or 2  tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄3 cup  extra  virgin olive oil

• SALAD

• 4  cups arugula, lightly packed
• 4  cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 2  ripe pears, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1⁄3 cup pomegranate seeds, Seeding a Pomegranate - Step by Step
• 3  ounces  fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 1⁄4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Vinaigrette Dressing:
2. In a small bowl combine the shallot, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved.
3. Whisk in the olive oil and let vinaigrette stand at room temperature until salad is assembled.
4. Salad:
5. Combine the arugula, romaine, pears and half of the pomegranate seeds in a large bowl.
6. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the ingredients in the bowl (this works best if the cheese is very cold).
7. Whisk the vinaigrette until uniform and add all but 2 tablespoons of it to the bowl.
8. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
9. Crumble the remaining cheese over the salad and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds and the pistachios over the top. Serve immediately.