Gorgeous Pear & Blue Cheese Crostini
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Today, we’re kicking off the beginning of autumn with these easy and beautiful pear and blue cheese crostini! Inspired by the classic holiday salad, these bites have mixed greens, juicy pears, creamy blue cheese, honey vinaigrette, & a crumble of walnuts. All you need is about 15 minutes to make this crowd-pleasing holiday app.
I’m gearing up for a stormy weekend in Berkeley to see My Morning Jacket followed up by a long weekend in Vegas which will feel like hellfire times a million. I’m hoping that by the time I get home, the air will be a little crisper and the produce will be orange and yellow-toned. Cause we all know that the internet will have moved onto fall by that point.
Even though my brain is saying pumpkin! Apple! Baking spices! My heart is telling me to take things a little gentler this year. So here’s what I propose: a fall-ish appetizer that requires no cooking and comes together in 15 minutes.
These toasts are inspired by a trendy pear, blue cheese, and walnut salad that I used to make all the time when I was in culinary school. You know the one. It was the go-to “fancy salad” on every restaurant menu before beets and goat cheese came into the picture.
But, it’s still one of my favorite salads and I thought it would make a fun crostini situation for the holidays! They’re good on their own but I also really love these toasts alongside other easy fall apps like prosciutto wrapped dates or these puff pastry cranberry brie tartlets. Or, try them with my famous whipped goat cheese to get all the funky cheeses in one go.
What blue cheese to use
For this recipe, you’ll want a blue cheese that is creamy and crumbly. I like Danablu (Danish blue) but you could also use Gorgonzola or anything else you like. Just make sure you’re using freshly-crumbled blue cheese! Pre-crumbled has additives that can affect the taste and texture of this app.
You’ll also need a baguette, juicy pears, toasted walnuts, and mixed greens for a little bitterness, although arugula would be delicious here too. Plus some sherry vinegar, honey, avocado or olive oil, salt, and pepper for the vinaigrette.
Recipe directions
To keep the pears from browning, you can toss the pear slices in a bit of lemon juice or sherry vinegar!
Other topping ideas
I know blue cheese isn’t everyone’s favorite, so feel free to swap it with goat cheese, brie, or even homemade boursin. You can also use any pears you like here. I use Bartlett because they’re juicy and sweet, but red pears are really gorgeous in this recipe too. Also, try adding a sprinkle of dried cranberries or pomegranate arils on top for pear + blue cheese salad vibes!
Serve these right away
Trust me, these crostini don’t store very well haha. The pears and lettuce get soggy so they’re best eaten right away. Luckily, they’re super easy to assemble so if you need more, you can just whip them up real quick!
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Easy Pear & Blue Cheese Crostini
Ingredients
Honey Vinaigrette
- 1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar (15 milliliters)
- 1 Tablespoon honey (20 milliliters)
- Kosher salt & freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive oil
Pear Blue Cheese Crostini
- 24 homemade crostini or store-bought
- 2 cups mixed greens or arugula (60 grams)
- 2 medium Bartlett pears, cored & thinly sliced
- 5 1/2 ounces blue cheese, freshly-crumbled (150 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted (14 grams)
Instructions
Honey Vinaigrette
- Add the sherry vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Then, while whisking constantly, drizzle in the olive oil or avocado oil until the dressing is smooth. Set aside.
Pear Blue Cheese Crostini
- Place a small handful of mixed greens on top of each crostini. Lay 2-3 thin slices of pears on top. Sprinkle the blue cheese and walnuts over the crostini. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately. Enjoy!
