I haven’t posted a single Thanksgiving-related recipe this season, and what am I posting the night before the Thanksgiving Day? Not a recipe for stuffing, pie, pumpkin soup or potato gratin. No. I am posting a mere salad recipe. A Thanksgiving salad recipe. Who eats salads on Thanksgiving, you might ask? Truth be told, I’ve been so busy for the last 2 weeks (but I won’t mire you with details), that all of my Thanksgiving cooking this season will have to happen only on one single day, which is tomorrow. Besides, arugula seems to be a very much Thanksgiving type of green, isn’t it? So, it’s not too bad for a pre-Thanksgiving night. And, on a second thought, this could be a great post-Thanksgiving detox meal, as well: you know, after eating too much turkey, it might not be a bad idea to just have a simple arugula salad for lunch the next day. And, I HAD TO POST SOMETHING for my 21st NaBloPoMo post. So here it goes:
Arugula salad with caramelized onions, walnuts, pears, and Gorgonzola cheese
makes 2 or 3 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 3 cups arugula
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- a pinch of salt
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar
How to caramelize walnuts: heat butter in the small frying pan on medium-high heat, add walnuts and sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, to coat the walnuts until caramelized. Place walnuts on foil and let them cool.
How to caramelize onions: heat olive oil in a medium size frying pan on medium-high heat. Slice onions thinly and add them to the pan once oil gets very hot. Cook onions, stirring constantly, until they turn brown and caramelize to your liking, about 10-15 minutes. While caramelizing onions, add a pinch of salt to your taste.
To make salad dressing: Mix vinegar with agave nectar, then add oil, whisking until emulsified.
To serve: Place 1/3 of arugula leaves on each of 3 serving plates. Throw caramelized walnuts and onions on top of each salad. Sprinkle with salad dressing. Top with sliced pears and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.
