Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Crispy Prosciutto Salad (Printable Version)

Elegant frisée salad with sweet pears, creamy blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto shards in tangy vinaigrette.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large head frisée lettuce, washed and torn
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 oz blue cheese, crumbled
04 - 6 slices prosciutto
05 - 1 oz 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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-quality but comes together faster than you'd expect, making you feel like the chef you pretend to be on weeknights.
  • The flavors balance so perfectly that one bite feels both indulgent and refreshing, proof that elegance and ease can coexist.
  • Crispy prosciutto beats any bacon bit—it's the small luxury that makes people ask for the recipe.
02 -
  • Never dress the salad more than a few minutes before eating—frisée is delicate and surrenders quickly to soggy defeat.
  • The temperature contrast between room-temperature greens and crispy-hot prosciutto is essential; don't let the prosciutto cool completely.
03 -
  • Slice your pears as close to serving time as possible—a squeeze of lemon juice on the cut side slows browning if you need to prep ahead.
  • For a vegetarian version that still impresses, double your walnuts and toast them until deeply fragrant, then finish with a drizzle of aged balsamic reduction for that salty-sweet complexity the prosciutto usually provides.
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