Spinach & Arugula Salad Recipe

Prepare Pears

Peel the pears, halve lengthwise and core each half with a small spoon or melon baller. Pat dry.

In a medium saucepan combine champagne, water, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Add the pear halves, cut side down. Reduce heat so liquid is at a bare simmer, cover partially and poach until pears are tender when pierced with a knife, 8–12 minutes depending on ripeness.

Remove pears with a slotted spoon to a shallow dish and let cool in the poaching liquid until room temperature (about 20 minutes) to absorb flavor. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooled poaching liquid for the vinaigrette if desired.

Slice the red onion into 1/2-inch thick rounds and separate into rings.

Toss the onion rings with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat until hot.

Grill onion rings 2–3 minutes per side until charred at the edges and slightly softened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat a smoker or set up a grill for indirect smoking at low temperature (around 200–225°F / 95–110°C). If using a gas grill, place soaked wood chips in a smoker box or foil packet with holes.

Arrange bacon in a single layer on the smoker rack. Smoke until bacon is cooked through and slightly crisp at edges, about 45–60 minutes depending on thickness. Alternatively, for a faster method, pan-fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8–12 minutes.

Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then chop or crumble into bite-sized pieces once cool enough to handle.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter with brown sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture is foamy, about 1–2 minutes.

Add pecan halves and salt, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until pecans are toasted and sugar caramelizes, 3–4 minutes.

Spread pecans on parchment to cool; break apart any clusters once set.

Place the soft goat cheese in a medium bowl. Add sliced scallions, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice and vinegar.

Whisk while slowly streaming in the olive oil until emulsified. If the dressing is too thick, whisk in cold water a tablespoon at a time to reach a pourable but creamy consistency (about 1–2 tablespoons).

Season with salt and black pepper to taste. If using, whisk in 1–2 tablespoons of the reserved pear poaching liquid to deepen flavor, then adjust seasoning.

In a large bowl, gently toss the baby spinach and arugula together.

Add about half of the scallion goat cheese vinaigrette and toss gently to coat the leaves evenly. Add more dressing as needed—salad should be lightly coated, not saturated.

Arrange the poached pear halves (cut side up or sliced into 1/4-inch slices), grilled red onion rings, crumbled/sliced smoked bacon, and candied pecans over the dressed greens.

Scatter the finishing crumbled goat cheese over the top. Season with flaky sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Serve immediately, passing extra vinaigrette on the side.