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Endive and Roquefort Salad with Pear Vinaigrette

November 21, 2023

An easy and delicious salad for the holiday table, this endive and roquefort salad with pear vinaigrette is easy to pull together and looks stunning on a serving platter.

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An Endive and Roquefort Salad sprinkled with candied walnuts and fresh chives on a serving plate
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Looking for more holiday-ish salad recipes?

An Easy Endive Salad With Roquefort Cheese

Endive Salad is one of those dishes that looks far more impressive on the plate, than the energy required to make it. Individual endive leaves artfully arranged on a platter get scattered with Candied Walnuts and chunks of Roquefort cheese and drizzled with a tangy pear vinaigrette. If you’re a blue cheese fan, our Potato Leek Au Gratin is another holiday fave.

An Endive salad topped with pears, Roquefort, fresh chives, candied walnuts and drizzled with homemade pear vinaigrette

What Is Endive?

Endive is a leafy green from the chicory family that has a nutty flavor. Endive is also noted for its slight bitterness, which pairs well with the creaminess of Roquefort cheese. The leaves are petite and make for a nice presentation on the plate, making this salad especially nice for serving to guests. Our Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Vinaigrette and Easy Fennel Salad are also great special occasion salads.

pears, endives, Roquefort, chives, candied walnuts, olive oil, dijon, lemon juice, honey and salt in prep bowls

Ingredients For Endive Pear And Roquefort Salad

  • For the Pear Vinaigrette: extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, a lemon, honey, sea salt, pear, cored, minced shallot

  • For the Salad: pears, Belgian endives, Roquefort or Blue cheese, fresh chives or tarragon, candied walnuts

olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pear being combined in a blender
homemade pear vinaigrette made with olive oil, dijon, lemon juice, honey, salt, pear and shallot

How to Make Endive Salad With Roquefort And Walnuts

  1. Make the vinaigrette. In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pear. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a jar, then add the shallot. Secure the lid and shake to combine.

  2. Assemble the salad. Spread the endive leaves and sliced pears out on a serving platter. Drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the Roquefort, chives, and walnuts and serve.

endives, pear, Roquefort, chives, candied walnuts and pear vinaigrette in bowls ready to assemble a salad
An Endive and Roquefort Salad sprinkled with candied walnuts and fresh chives on a serving plate

How to Store Leftovers + Tips

  • Endive is fairly sturdy, and leftovers will be fine the next day, but the salad is really best eaten the day it is made.

  • This is not a dainty salad. The endive leaves can be separated in advance, and then artfully tossed on the serving dish close to the time you sit down for dinner. Just make sure you keep the leaves chilled until you assemble, because these winter greens taste best when crisp and cold.

  • We make a big double batch of candied walnuts, because they’re so good straight out of the oven and they often don’t last long enough to make it onto the salad.

  • For another great pear recipe, check out our Pear and Burrata Crostini.

An Endive and Roquefort Salad sprinkled with candied walnuts and fresh chives on a serving plate

What To Serve With An Endive Salad

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Endive and Roquefort Salad with Pear Vinaigrette

  • Serves:  8
  • Prep Time:  20 min
  • Cook Time:  5 min
  • Calories:  254

Ingredients

Pear Vinaigrette

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ of a pear, cored
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot (from 1 small shallot)

Salad

  • pears, cored and thinly sliced
  • 6 medium heads Belgian endives, trimmed and leaves separated
  • 4 ounces Roquefort or Blue cheese, crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or tarragon
  • 1 cup candied walnuts, store-bought or homemade

Method

  1. Make the vinaigrette. In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pear. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a jar, then add the shallot. Secure the lid and shake to combine.

  2. Spread the endive leaves and sliced pears out on a serving platter. Drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the Roquefort, chives, and walnuts and serve.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 254
  • Protein 9 g
  • Carbohydrates 29 g
  • Total Fat 13 g
  • Dietary Fiber 14 g
  • Cholesterol 11 mg
  • sodium 435 mg
  • Total Sugars 14 g

Endive and Roquefort Salad with Pear Vinaigrette

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Genevieve

    One more question: can the dressing be made ahead, and is it okay to not refrigerate, to prevent oil separation?

    Yes it can be made ahead. We recommend refrigerating it in an airtight jar or container. All you have to do is shake it if it separates. It will emulsify again. Enjoy.

  • Genevieve

    How large would the servings be for eight guests?

    This recipe makes a small side salad for 8 people. Hope you Enjoy!

  • Marie

    I made this for lunch and it is absolutely delicious. The candied walnuts are to die for, I'll definitely be eating this all week long.

    Thanks Marie, we are so glad you loved it!