Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Prosciutto Salad (Print Version)

Elegant blend of bitter frisée, sweet pears, creamy blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto with tangy vinaigrette.

# What You Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large head frisée lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
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 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
08 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tsp honey
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange prosciutto slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8–10 minutes until crisp. Let cool, 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 frisée lettuce, sliced pears, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
05 - Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss gently to coat evenly.
06 - Top salad with crispy prosciutto shards immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Bitter frisée cuts through rich cheese and salty prosciutto in a way that makes every bite exciting
  • The warm prosciutto shards create this incredible contrast against cool, crisp pears
  • It looks like you spent hours but comes together in under 30 minutes
02 -
  • The prosciutto continues crisping after leaving the oven, so remove it when it looks slightly less done than you want
  • Frisée can be sandy, so wash it thoroughly and spin it completely dry or the dressing will slide right off
  • Slice pears right before assembling so they do not oxidize and turn brown
03 -
  • Room temperature pears have more flavor than cold ones from the fridge
  • Use your hands to gently toss the salad, tongs can bruise the delicate frisée leaves
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