Pear It with Parsley

Combining pears with parsley in a vinaigrette may sound unusual, but it’s highly flavorful and healthy. The delicate, slightly sweet flavor of pear contrasts with fresh parsley’s peppery taste and puts a festive twist on ordinary salads. Toss Pear Parsley Vinaigrette with my Winter Salad or drizzle over a bed of mixed greens. Garnish with pink peppercorns or pomegranate seeds for holiday meals.

Pears

Pears are a natural choice for winter salads because cool-weather pears are harvested in the fall and ripen in cold storage. They’re associated with the holidays because of a certain partridge in a pear tree in the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” It’s no wonder National Pear Month is celebrated in December!

Nutritionally, pears pack a lot of punch. An average-sized pear contains impressive levels of fiber (6 grams per serving or 20% of the RDA), Vitamin C (9% of the RDA), and potassium (4% of the RDA). Pears are loaded with antioxidants, including anthocyanin, a pigment that’s part of a larger category of plant-based chemicals called flavonoids. A study of anthocyanin in the National Library of Medicine suggests a link between anthocyanin-rich foods and a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Parsley

Parsley is a fragrant green herb that grows easily in containers (indoors and outdoors) and gardens. Many of us grew up knowing parsley only as a little limp garnish on a plate. But parsley is so much more than that and deserves its modern superfood status. Like pears, parsley is high in Vitamin C (53% of the RDA), which is especially important in cold weather. Yes, you’d have to eat half a cup of parsley to get that much Vitamin C, but when you consider my Pear Parsley Vinaigrette uses an entire bunch of parsley, that’s 4-5 servings! 

Vitamin C is just the beginning of parsley’s superpowers. According to Healthline, there’s substantial folate and potassium in a serving of parsley. Fresh parsley has 108% of the RDA of Vitamin A for vision support and a whopping 547% of the RDA of Vitamin K. Older adults take note: parsley is a powerful culinary tool for building stronger bones. Vitamin K activates proteins that increase bone mineral density, making bones less prone to fractures. This means that parsley should be a regular part of a healthy diet, whether you enjoy it as a garnish or in a vinaigrette. 

Hot Tip

Choose flat-leaf Italian parsley for my Pear Parsley Vinaigrette because it’s studier (and some say more flavorful) than its curly counterpart. 

Makes 10-12 servings.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (Mariella & Grace EVOO is our favorite)
• 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup ripe pears, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 each large shallots, peeled
• 2 each garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bunch parsley, de-stemmed
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Prep the garlic, shallots, pear and parsley.
2. In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients minus the EVOO.  Slowly add the EVOO as the ingredients are blending.
3. Adjust seasoning, transfer to an air-tight container, and store in the refrigerator. Use within 7-10 days.