Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Prosciutto (Printable)

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

# What You’ll 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 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon 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 crispy. Cool completely and 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, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
04 - Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Top with crispy prosciutto shards immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The prosciutto crisps up in minutes and becomes this addictive, shardlike topping that makes every bite feel indulgent without the heaviness of a full meal.
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can make something that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when guests arrive with little notice.
  • The combination of textures—crispy, creamy, tender, nutty—creates something memorable that lingers in your mind longer than most salads do.
02 -
  • The order matters: prosciutto last, always, or you'll end up with sad, soggy bits that taste like nothing.
  • Room-temperature ingredients work better than cold—if your pears and cheese come straight from the fridge, they'll taste muted and won't play well with the other flavors.
03 -
  • If you're making this for a crowd, toast extra prosciutto—people always eat more than you think they will, and it's the component that disappears first.
  • A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice in the vinaigrette brightens everything slightly if you find the flavors feel a bit muted once it's all put together.
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