By: EatingWell

Photographer: Burris, Ken

Publish Date: 2008-10-01

Servings: 6

Yield: 6 servings, 1 cup each

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

To Make Ahead: Prepare salad without pecans up to 2 hours ahead. Stir in pecans just before serving.

Recipe Description:

Bartlett or Anjou pears are used in this salad for their crisp texture. The nut and cheese combination sets the tone of the dish—white Cheddar and pecans is decidedly American. For an Italian twist, try a good Parmesan with some toasted walnuts.

Recipe Ingredients:

1. 4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
2. 2 tablespoons cider, pear, raspberry or other fruit vinegar
3. 2 tablespoons honey
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 2 ripe pears, preferably red Bartlett or Anjou, diced
6. 1 cup finely diced white Cheddar cheese
7. 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (see Tip)
8. Freshly ground pepper, to taste
9. 6 large leaves butterhead or other lettuce

Recipe Steps:

1. Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Whisk vinegar, honey and salt in a large bowl until blended. Add pears; gently stir to coat. Add the celery, cheese and pecans; stir to combine. Season with pepper. Divide the lettuce leaves among 6 plates and top with a portion of salad. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Recipe Tips & Notes:

1. Tips: To toast chopped nuts & seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 221 calories; 14 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 4g mono unsaturated fat); 20 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 244 mg sodium; 234 mg potassium

Nutrtion Bonus: Calcium (15% daily value).

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 high-fat meat, 1 fat

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Recipe Categories:

Course(s)

Brunch

Appetizer

Lunch

Snacks

Cuisine(s)

American

Degree of Difficulty

Easy

Special Health Consideration(s)

High Calcium

Low Cholesterol

Low Sodium

Low Carb

Low Calorie

Diabetes Appropriate

Seasons & Occassions

Thanksgiving

New Year's

Picnic

Housewarming

Halloween

Christmas

Winter

Fall

Main Ingredient(s)

Dairy & Soy

Cheese

Technique(s)

Quick

Dish Type(s)

Main Dish

Salad

Side Dishes

Recipe Disclaimer(s):

Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Eating Well cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.

Gluten-Free Disclaimer: We have verified that these recipes do not include the following gluten-containing ingredients: wheat (all varieties, including spelt and kamut, wheat germ or bran and other forms of wheat protein), rye, barley (in all forms, including malt, malt flavoring, malt vinegar and malt extract), oats, triticale or beer/ale. However, many processed foods, such as broths, soy sauce and other condiments, may contain hidden sources of gluten. If a recipe calls for a packaged (e.g., canned) ingredient, we recommend that you carefully read the label to be sure it does not contain a hidden source of gluten.