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Fresh pears, spinach, toasted pecans, red onion, and Parmesan cheese are all tossed in a homemade dressing to make a fall salad masterpiece! It’s the perfect combination of crunchy, creamy, salty, and sweet.

Spinach Pear Salad with balsamic dressing served with wooden tongs for the prefect fall salad.

I love eating seasonally, and this salad recipe fits right into that plan. I have taken my favorite greens and added an autumnal vibe with other ingredients that you can easily find this time of year.

This Spinach Pear Salad is fresh, delicious, and super easy to make. I love it for lunch, but I’ve also served it as a side dish along with Air Fryer Salmon and turned it into a main dish by adding Cajun Garlic Shrimp.

If you’ve been promising yourself that you would start eating more salads, well, now you don’t have any more excuses. I promise you’ll be excited to dig into a big bowl of my autumn pear salad!

Toastsed pecans, red onion, fresh spinach, pears, Parmesan cheese and homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing for an amazing fall salad.

Ingredients For This Salad

Fresh Spinach
Pears – I use a combination of Anjou and Red pears. Bosc or Bartlett pears can be used as well.
Lemon Juice
Toasted Pecans
Red Onion
Parmesan Cheese – you can substitute blue cheese, gorgonzola, goat cheese or feta.
Homemade Balsamic Dressing
Salt and Pepper

Scroll down for the ingredient measurements and full instructions.

How Do You Cut And Prep Pears For Salads?

It’s easy and takes just minutes to prepare sweet, juicy pears for this salad.

Wash and dry the pears. Cut each pear in half and lay the flat side on a cutting board. Cut into slices with the amount of thickness you like.
To keep the pears from turning brown, add about 1 cup of cool water and half a lemon juice to a small bowl, dip the pear slices in the water, then dry on paper towels.

Water with lemon juice to keep fresh pears from turning brown.

One of the secrets to making this salad extra special is the addition of toasted pecans. They bring a nutty flavor and texture that pairs beautifully with the sweet pears.

How To Toast Pecans

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add pecans. Toss in butter and toast for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove pan from heat, sprinkle with salt and let pecans cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

If you prefer, you can substitute walnuts and toast them using the same method I use for pecans.

What Dressing Is Best For Pear Spinach Salad?

My favorite for this salad is a light, flavorful balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of sweetness and just the right amount of tang. Here’s how to make it:

Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or mason jar.

Whisk together or shake until well-mixed. This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Homemade balsamic dressing poured over fresh spinach and pears for a fall salad.

How To Make This Salad Recipe

Gather all the ingredients along with a large bowl, mason jar with a lid, cutting board, knife, and salad tongs.
Toast the pecans. While the nuts are cooling, slice the pears, place them in the lemon water, then slice the red onion.
Add fresh spinach to the bowl, then add the pears, onion, pecans, and shreds of Parmesan cheese.
Make the balsamic vinaigrette. Season the salad with salt and pepper and drizzle on the dressing. Gently toss and serve.

Spinach and pear salad with toasted pecans and shaved Parmesan cheese drizzled with homemade balsamic dressing.

What To Serve With Pear Spinach Salad

I’m not joking when I say there are so many ways to serve this salad. It’s perfect as a side salad but also great to make into a main dish with the addition of hard-boiled eggs and chicken. I plan to serve it for Thanksgiving and Christmas alongside ham and turkey. I can taste it now!

Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve alongside this salad: