There’s nothing quite like an excellent salad to take a meal from good to great and this Asian pear salad does just that.

Asian pears are large, delicate, and have a wonderful flavor and texture that goes above and beyond many other pear varieties. They’re never grainy and they have this firm-but-juicy texture that fits in well with a salad. This specialty fruit requires a lot of hands-on tending during growing and also requires some padding in transit to protect its delicate skin. It’s all worth it for the flavor though.

For this recipe we’re peeling the pear and then tossing the pear pieces with a little lemon juice to ensure they don’t turn brown while you prepare the other ingredients.

To really make this salad pop is some homemade dressing, made with honey, shallots, and some mustard. It’s sweet, tangy, and savory all at the same time and so it brings out the fruity flavor of the pear.

As the foundation of the salad we’re using baby greens and some radicchio. If you can’t find radicchio hearts then just use a pre-made mix with some in- it makes the salad so colorful! Or use the leafy greens of your choice here.

To compliment all those flavors are some pecans and some feta cheese for protein and for texture. This means it makes a great side, but it’s also lunch-worthy all on its own, too.