To make this Dorblu blue cheese and pear salad, I pop the mixing bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes, then slice the pear into thin wedges on a board so it stays juicy. Dorblu crumbles beautifully, so I don’t squash it with a knife—I just break it up with my fingers into uneven little pieces. The walnuts get a quick toast in a dry pan over medium heat, and you can literally hear when they’re ready because the aroma suddenly “clicks” into place. I whisk the dressing with a fork until it turns glossy, so it coats the leaves instead of pooling at the bottom. A minute later, the bowl is all contrast: tender, crunchy, and that salty-creamy bite—exactly what I want after a long day on my feet.
In this recipe you’ll learn
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tips before you start
- What to look for when choosing ingredients
- Secrets to the perfect Dorblu and pear salad
- How to serve Blue Cheese and Pear Salad
- Nutritional perks
- Recipe variations
- Questions & answers
- Common mistakes
Why you’ll love this Dorblu blue cheese and pear salad
I honestly didn’t expect Dorblu to play so nicely with pear—until I started slicing the pear thin and dressing everything right away. When you want a light-but-bold dinner in 15 minutes, this hits the spot. The walnuts make it feel satisfying without turning it heavy, and the lemon keeps the flavours snappy and pulled together. Tiny thing, but it matters: a chilled bowl keeps the leaves crisp for longer.
- The sweet-salty balance just works
- Crunch from the walnuts and the greens
- A dressing that tastes rich without being greasy
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Holds up nicely on the table
Blue Cheese and Pear Salad (Dorblu)
Ingredients
- 120 г Mixed salad leaves (arugula/spinach/lettuce) well dried
- 1 шт Pear ripe but firm
- 70 г Dorblu blue cheese broken into pieces
- 40 г Walnuts lightly toasted
- 3 ст. л. Olive oil
- 1 ст. л. Lemon juice + 1–2 tsp for the pear
- 1 ч. л. Honey
- 1 ч. л. Dijon mustard
- 1 дрібка Black pepper freshly ground
- 1 дрібка Salt if needed
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Dressing Bowl
- Chef’s Knife
- Cutting Board
- Frying Pan (2)
- Whisk or Fork
- Salad tongs
Method
- Put the bowl and plates in the fridge for 10 minutes so the leaves stay crisp. Take the Dorblu out of the fridge for 5 minutes—it crumbles more easily. Rinse the leaves in cool water and dry until they feel properly “crisp,” not damp.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan constantly. You’re looking for a warm nutty smell and a light toast. Tip onto a cold plate to stop the cooking.Don’t leave the nuts in the hot pan: one more 1 minute and they can turn bitter.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, combine olive oil (3 tbsp), lemon juice (1 tbsp), honey (1 tsp), and Dijon mustard (1 tsp). Whisk with a fork for 30–40 seconds until glossy and smooth—slightly thick, like a proper emulsion; add a pinch of pepper.
- Slice the pear into 3–4 mm wedges and immediately drizzle with 1–2 tsp lemon juice, tossing for 20 seconds. The cut surface should stay pale (no browning), and the pear should stay juicy but not mushy. Keep it cool while you assemble the salad.
- In the chilled bowl, add the salad leaves (about 120 g) and half the dressing, then toss with tongs for 25–30 seconds. Check the coating: the leaves should shine with a thin film, not sit in a puddle. Add the pear and gently toss again—don’t press it down.
Break the Dorblu into 1–2 cm pieces and scatter over the top along with the warm (not hot) walnuts. Add the remaining dressing only if needed—1 tsp at a time, tossing for 15 seconds. Serve right away; after about 10 minutes the leaves will soften.
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Tips before making Dorblu blue cheese salad
Start with the serving stuff: chill the bowl and plates in the fridge for 10 minutes—greens won’t wilt from warm hands and a warm kitchen. Slice the pear thin, about 3–4 mm, and hit it with lemon straight away; if the cut stays pale, you’re on time. Crumble the Dorblu roughly (not into dust), otherwise it smears into the leaves and you lose all the texture. Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until the smell turns properly nutty. Add the dressing in stages and toss with salad tongs—then it coats in a light film instead of collecting at the bottom.
- Chill the bowl before tossing
- Lemon goes on the pear immediately
- Break Dorblu—don’t chop it
- Toast walnuts without oil
- Add the dressing a little at a time
What to look for when choosing ingredients
Keep Dorblu wrapped in parchment or foil inside a container—then it won’t pick up random fridge smells over 24 hours. Store pears away from the greens, and keep the leaves in a bag with a paper towel so they stay dry and springy.
Dorblu blue cheese
Go for a firm piece without lots of brine; store it wrapped in parchment in a container so the aroma doesn’t take over your fridge.
Pears
Ripe but still firm is the sweet spot; if yours are soft, slice a bit thicker and add them at the very last minute.
Mixed salad leaves
Dry them really well after washing; keep with a paper towel or the dressing will slide off thanks to extra moisture.
Walnuts
Store them in the freezer so they don’t go bitter; toast briefly in a dry pan right before serving for the best aroma.
Olive oil
Keep it tightly closed and away from light—rancid oil will wreck the dressing instantly.
Салат з сиром дорблю та грушею
Ingredients
- 120 г Мікс салатного листя (рукола/шпинат/латук) добре обсушити
- 1 шт Груша стигла, але пружна
- 70 г Сир дорблю поламати на шматочки
- 40 г Волоські горіхи злегка підсушити
- 3 ст. л. Оливкова олія
- 1 ст. л. Лимонний сік + 1–2 ч. л. для груші
- 1 ч. л. Мед
- 1 ч. л. Діжонська гірчиця
- 1 дрібка Чорний перець свіжомелений
- 1 дрібка Сіль за потреби
Equipment
- Велика миска
- маленька миска для заправки
- ніж кухарський
- Дошка
- Сковорода
- вінчик або виделка
- щипці для салату
Method
- Постав миску й тарілки в холодильник на 10 minutes, щоб листя залишалося пружним. Дістань сир дорблю з холоду на 5 minutes — так він краще кришиться. Листя промий у прохолодній воді й обсуши до сухої, «хрусткої» поверхні.
- Горіхи підсуши на сухій сковороді на середньому вогні 3–4 хвилини, постійно струшуючи. Орієнтир — теплий горіховий аромат і легке підрум’янення. Пересип на холодну тарілку, щоб зупинити нагрів.Не лишай горіхи на гарячій сковороді: ще 1 хвилина — і з’явиться гіркота.
- Зроби заправку: у маленькій мисці змішай оливкову олію 3 ст. л., лимонний сік 1 ст. л., мед 1 ч. л. і діжонську гірчицю 1 ч. л. Збий виделкою 30–40 секунд до блиску й однорідної, трохи густої емульсії; додай дрібку перцю.
- Грушу наріж часточками товщиною 3–4 мм і одразу збризни 1–2 ч. л. лимонного соку, перемішуючи 20 секунд. Орієнтир — світлий зріз без потемніння й соковита, але не розм’якшена текстура. Тримай нарізку в прохолоді, поки збираєш салат.
- У холодній мисці з’єднай салатне листя (приблизно 120 г) і половину заправки, перемішай щипцями 25–30 секунд. Контролюй покриття: листя має блищати тонкою плівкою, без калюжі на дні. Додай грушу й ще раз обережно підкинь, не притискаючи.
- Дорблю поламай на шматочки 1–2 см і розклади зверху разом із теплими, але не гарячими горіхами. Додай решту заправки за потреби — по 1 ч. л., перемішуючи 15 секунд. Подай одразу; якщо стоїть довше 10 minutes, листя пом’якшиться.
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Secrets to the perfect Dorblu blue cheese and pear salad
The key is 180°C and not a degree higher: at that temperature the nuts toast fast without turning bitter. The dressing should look glossy and completely smooth—give it a good 30 seconds with a fork or whisk. Toss the leaves gently so they stay airy instead of getting squashed.
- Toast the nuts at 180°C
- Whisk the dressing into an emulsion
- Add Dorblu at the end
- Lemon on the pear straight away
- The bowl should be cold
How to serve
Don’t drown the salad in dressing “just in case”—after 10 minutes the leaves lose their snap. And don’t put warm pear slices on top (like if you’ve heated them): the cheese starts melting in patches and it gets messy fast.
- Spread out on a large flat platter
- Portioned into chilled bowls
- With extra dressing served on the side
- With baguette croutons alongside
- As a light side for roast chicken or turkey
Nutritional perks
It feels light on the plate: lots of greens, a bit of cheese, and a controlled amount of oil. Walnuts bring polyunsaturated fats and the minerals you naturally get from nuts. Pear adds fibre and juiciness, so the salad keeps your appetite in check without turning into a calorie bomb.
- Fibre from pears and leafy greens
- Healthy fats from walnuts
- Protein and calcium from the cheese
- Reasonable calories per serving
Recipe variations
For a keto-ish version, keep the Dorblu and walnuts, but cut the pear down to just a few thin slices and add more greens plus cucumber.
- Arugula + spinach instead of a mixed bag
- Add prosciutto in thin ribbons
- Swap honey for maple syrup in the dressing
- Pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts
- Add roasted beetroot cubes
- Gluten-free serving: skip croutons, add seeds
Questions & answers
Got half left over?
Як зберегти салат до завтра?
Окремо тримай зелень, грушу (з лимоном) і дорблю в контейнерах, а заправку — у баночці. Збирай порцію перед їжею за 3 хвилини, тоді листя не розмокне.
Скільки можна зберігати заправку?
У щільно закритій баночці в холодильнику — до 48 hours. Перед використанням струси 10 секунд, щоб емульсія знову стала однорідною.
Чому дорблю інколи гірчить?
Таке трапляється, якщо сир довго був відкритий або «висох». Відріж тонкий підсохлий край 2–3 мм і використовуй серцевину; зберігай загорнутим у пергамент.
Що робити якщо немає дорблю?
Підійде горгонзола або інший блакитний сир; для м’якшого смаку візьми фету й додай 1 ч. л. меду в заправку, щоб зберегти контраст.
Common mistakes
Sometimes the salad tastes a bit “flat” because the dressing gets poured in all at once and slides straight to the bottom. Other times, the cheese is crumbled too finely, it smears everywhere, and the flavour turns harsh. You’ll notice the result fast: wet, over-salty, and no crunch.
Why did my salad turn watery?
The leaves weren’t dried well, or the dressing was added too early. Dry the greens with a salad spinner or a clean towel, and toss with dressing right before serving—no more than 5 minutes ahead.
Why did the pears go brown?
The cut surface oxidised in the air. Slice the pear at the end and drizzle with 1–2 tsp lemon juice, tossing so every slice gets a thin acidic coating.
Why is it over-salted?
Dorblu is already salty, and then extra salt was added to the dressing. Salt at the very end and only a tiny pinch, or swap the salt for a few extra drops of lemon.
Why aren’t the nuts crunchy?
The walnuts were old, or they weren’t toasted. Toast them at 
180 °C (356 °F) for 6–8 minutes or in a dry pan until the aroma becomes really noticeable.
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