Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Prosciutto (Printable)

Elegant blend of bitter frisée, sweet pears, creamy blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto with tangy vinaigrette.

# What You Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large head frisée lettuce, washed and torn
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 oz blue cheese, crumbled
04 - 6 slices prosciutto
05 - 1 oz toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

→ Vinaigrette

06 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
08 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tsp honey
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange prosciutto slices in a single layer and bake for 8–10 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven and let cool, then break into large shards.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine frisée, sliced pears, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
04 - Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Top the salad with crispy prosciutto shards immediately before serving to maintain optimal crispness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The frisée's natural bitterness plays beautifully against creamy blue cheese and sweet pear juice, creating complexity in every bite without overthinking it.
  • Crispy prosciutto adds that satisfying crunch and salty richness that makes people think you've spent way more effort than you actually have.
  • Ready in 25 minutes start to finish, so it's perfect for when you want to impress without stress.
02 -
  • Never dress the salad until you're ready to eat it; the frisée wilts quickly and pitifully once it meets liquid, losing all that delicate texture you worked to preserve.
  • The prosciutto shards are fragile and hygroscopic, meaning they'll absorb moisture from the air and from the salad itself, so add them at the very last second—this one small step makes the difference between crispy and chewy.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant—you'll taste the difference immediately compared to pre-toasted, and the kitchen will smell incredible while you're cooking.
  • Make the vinaigrette in a jar and shake it vigorously right before using so it emulsifies properly and coats the greens more evenly than if you simply whisk it.
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