No boring salads here! This Ontario Pear, Stilton and Kale Salad is full of robust yet balanced flavours. The Ontario pears add a refreshing burst in every bite, and the Stilton cheese and roasted walnuts adds a warm, heartiness to the dish. This is a great recipe if you are craving an extra delicious lunch or to serve as a starter salad to guests before the main meal. You could also add a favourite protein and turn this recipe into a healthy dinner.
You can try this recipe with a variety of different Ontario grown pears and make it original to you and your tastebuds. Find a list of the different varieties of pears here.
4 servings

Ingredients
- 4 cups packed, coarsely chopped, trimmed kale (1 small bunch)
- ½ small fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 firm, ripe Ontario Pears, cored and sliced
- ½ cup (125 mL) crumbled Stilton cheese (about 3 ozs/ 90 g)
- ¼ cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
- Dressing
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine dressing ingredients, mix well; set aside.
- In large bowl, combine chopped kale, fennel and red onion. Toss with half dressing. Let stand at least 15 minutes at room temperature to soften kale.
- Just before serving, divide kale mixture evenly between 4 plates, top with sliced pears, cheese and nuts. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrients per serving (1/4 recipe): 375 calories, 29 g total fat, 432 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrates, 6 g fibre, 8 g protein. Excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Good source of folate and calcium.