Grilled Pear and Arugula Salad with Candied Ginger, Toasted Almonds, and a Spiced Yogurt Vinaigrette

Grilled pears and peppery arugula come together in this wonderful end-of-summer salad. A tangy yogurt vinaigrette and chewy candied ginger offer a delightful play of textures and flavors along with the the oh-so-satisfying crunch of toasted almonds. Destined to be a new favorite!

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Grilled Pear and Arugula Salad with Candied Ginger, Toasted Almonds, and a Spiced Yogurt Vinaigrette
Serves 4 - 6

Salad Ingredients:

2 firm pears, (like Anjou, Bosc, Bartlett ), halved and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 oz baby arugula
1 small shallot, sliced very thinly
2 tablespoons candied ginger
1/2 cup almonds

Yogurt Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup full fat Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Wash, halve, and seed the pears.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and lemon juice, then brush the pears with the mixture. Reserve the remaining mixture.

3. Place pear halves, cut side down, directly on the grill grates and cook over indirect heat, for 10 minutes or until pears have softened, turned golden, and grill marks have appeared. Carefully remove them from the grill with grill tongs or grill spatula, and set them aside.

4. Wash and dry the arugula. In a large bowl, toss with the remaining lemon and oil mixture used for brushing the pears.

5. Thinly slice the shallot and chop the candied ginger. Slice the grilled pears.

6. In a small cast iron skillet, toast the almonds until golden and fragrant. Remove the almonds and chop into pieces.

7. In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, cinnamon, clove, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook ingredients over low heat, whisking until the honey is melted and evenly incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in the Greek yogurt until combined.

8. Top the arugula with the shallot, candied ginger, grilled pears, and almond slices. Drizzle the salad with the yogurt vinaigrette and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Eat immediately.