Best Pecan Vinaigrette Recipes

FRESH POACHED PEAR, TOASTED PECAN AND BLEU CHEESE SALAD WITH PEAR VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To assemble salad, wash lettuce well and drain until very dry. Toss leaves in the Pear Vinaigrette in a salad bowl. Add the bleu cheese and pecans.
• Place a mound of lettuce on each of 4 plates. Serve with 1/2 a Poached Pear.
• Peel pears, leaving stems intact and trimming bottom to "seat" them firmly in bottom of large stockpot.
• Into the stockpot, add the wine, water, sugar, vanilla bean, star anise, lemon and orange peels, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Reserve 1/4 cup of poaching liquid for the vinaigrette.
• Place ingredients in large bowl and whisk together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

GRILLED CHICKEN BLUEBERRY PECAN SALAD WITH HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat grill for direct heat grilling.
• Season chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and garlic powder and grill, turning once, until chicken is cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes; slice and reserve.
• In a bowl, whisk honey, Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until blended.
• In a bowl, combine lettuce, blueberries, apple, red onion and pecans and toss with some (about 1/2 cup) of the dressing.
• Arrange sliced chicken over lettuce mixture and drizzle with additional dressing.

STRAWBERRY PECAN SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Mix together mixed salad greens or baby spinach leaves.
• Toss in strawberry slices, grapes, mandarine segments, red onion slices and glazed pecans. Toss all the salad ingredients.
• Combine all the raspberry vinaigrette ingredients and pour over salad.
• Add feta cheese crumbles on top. Serve salad immediately or store in refrigerator.
• SERVING SUGGESTION: can also be served with Ken's Steak House, Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette Salad Dressing over the salad and store-bought glazed pecans, if you like.

APPLE-PECAN SALAD WITH HONEY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a serving bowl, combine the lettuce, apple and pecans. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, stir in pecans.

APPLE PECAN SALAD WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat the pecans with the 2 tbls. maple syrup(or brown sugar mixture) and 1/8 teaspoons cinnamon.
• Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted.
• In a food processor, combine the cranberries, raisins, vinegar, onion, brown sugar, and mustard. Chop coarsely; remove from processor and place in a bowl.
• Gradually whisk in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Chop apple into bite size pieces, then mix with lemon/water mixture in a bowl to prevent browning. Keep apples in mixture until you toss ingredients into salad.
• In a salad bowl, toss together the greens, apples, and enough of the cranberry mixture to coat.
• Sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

TOASTED PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together first five ingredients. Slowly add olive oil while whisking constantly. Stir in pecans just before serving.

BABY SPINACH SALAD WITH BLACK EYED PEAS, LARDONS, AND PECAN-VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, put the peas and cover with chicken stock or water. Add the onion, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, until peas are tender but not broken (still al dente). Allow to cool in the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, in a non-stick pan, heat the lardons over medium heat, rendering the fat until lardons are crispy. Set lardons aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the shallots, mustard, and vinegar, and slowly drizzle in the canola oil. Stir in the 1/4 cup of pecans.
• In large bowl, toss the greens and lardons with half of the dressing. Evenly divide the salad between 4 plates. Place the cooled peas to the bowl and dress with the remaining dressing. Spoon the peas over the greens and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans.

MANDARIN ORANGE AND PEAR SALAD WITH TOASTED PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine lettuces, oranges, pears and red onion.
• For Dressing:.
• In a medium bowl, combine dijon and honey. Slowly add olive oil, whisking to combine. Slowly add vinegar, whisking to combine. Stir in toasted pecans.
• Drizzle salad with Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.

TOASTED PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, combine Dijon and honey.
• Slowly add olive oil, whisking to combine.
• Slowly add vinegar, whisking to combine.
• Stir in toasted pecans.

RADICCHIO AND ENDIVE SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk in oil in a slow stream. Coarsely chop pecans and in a small shallow baking pan toast in one layer in middle of oven until fragrant and a shade darker, about 5 minutes. Immediately stir hot pecans into vinaigrette.
• Separate radicchio leaves and tear out some of white veins. Divide leaves decoratively between 2 plates (see photograph, above). Discard any discolored outer leaves from endive and cut two 1-inch sections from head. Arrange each section in center of radicchio leaves. Thinly slice remaining endive, discarding core, and sprinkle over salads. Drizzle vinaigrette over salads.

GRILLED PEPPERCORN STEAK AND CARAMELIZED PECAN SALAD WITH CABERNET-CHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, brown mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, cracked pepper, and port wine in a bowl; pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add the beef, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (up to 5 days if necessary).
• Bring Cabernet wine and dried cherries to a boil in a saucepan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine has reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume, about 20 minutes. Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the wine mixture and pour in extra-virgin olive oil. Remove from heat and let dressing cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a sheet pan.
• Toss pecan pieces in a bowl with water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until thoroughly coated. Spread coated pecans into the prepared sheet pan.
• Bake pecans in the preheated oven until the coating adheres to the nuts and pecans are fragrant and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and immediately transfer to a large heatproof plate to finish cooling. Be careful, candied pecans are extremely hot. Set pecans aside to cool.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for very high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove steak pieces from marinade, shake off excess marinade, and grill until steaks are seared and done to your desired degree of rareness, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes per side. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a steak should read 145 degrees F (65 degrees C) for medium-well. Discard used marinade. Let steaks stand for 5 minutes after grilling before cutting into thin slices.
• To serve, mix baby greens with shaved carrot and radishes in a salad bowl and divide onto 4 large serving plates. Lay slices of beef in a spoke pattern on top of greens and sprinkle each salad generously with candied pecans. Whisk dressing and drizzle over salads, distributing a few cherries onto each salad.

KALE AND PERSIMMON SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until very golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool and very finely chop.
• Meanwhile, whisk together 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon honey and a large pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add the shallots and let sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally, until the shallots turn bright pink and are slightly pickled, about 10 minutes. Remove the shallots and set aside (discard the liquid).
• Whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup vinegar, Dijon mustard, remaining 1 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until the mixture is blended. Stir in the toasted pecans.
• Combine the kale, pickled shallots, persimmons and Gorgonzola in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

BLUE CHEESE-PECAN-AVOCADO SALAD WITH HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Dressing: Whisk together garlic, mustard, honey, and pepper.
• Whisk in vinegar and then oil.
• Taste and add more mustard, honey, or other ingredients if necessary to your liking. Set aside.
• In a salad bowl, combine lettuce, pecans, blue cheese, and avocado.
• Add dressing and toss to combine.

APPLE-PECAN SALAD WITH HONEY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a serving bowl, combine the lettuce, apple and pecans. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN OVER FIELD GREENS WITH CARAMEL CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the chicken:
• Preheat heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place chicken and lowfat buttermilk into a plastic bag and allow to sit for 15 minutes up to overnight.
• While chicken is marinating combine pecans with spices and mix well. Place mixture into a shallow dish. Remove chicken and allow excess buttermilk to drain. Coat both sides of the chicken pieces with the pecan/spice mixture.
• Heat a medium, 10-inch oven-proof saute pan on the stove. Using 1/2 teaspoon oil per piece, sear chicken for 1 minute on each side and then place entire pan into oven (if you do not have an oven proof saute pan simply transfer chicken to a baking sheet and proceed) for 10 to 15 minutes. When done and slightly cooled, slice. Note: chicken can be done a day ahead of time. Leftover chicken makes a great chicken salad.
• For the greens:
• Cut, wash and spin greens. Toss greens with tomatoes and carrot, set aside.
• For the vinaigrette:
• Combine the caramel sauce with water and citrus juices and whisk. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil, lime zest, if using, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To Assemble:
• Place greens in a bowl and lightly toss with 1/2 of the dressing. Mound on 4 plates and top with chicken and remaining dressing. ENJOY!

GRILLED MUSHROOM SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, thyme, salt, and pepper. Thread the mushrooms on thin metal or soaked wood skewers and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil mixture and grill over moderately hot coals on both sides until tender and golden brown. Remove mushrooms from skewers and quarter or slice thickly.
• Toss greens and mushrooms pecan vinaigrette and arrange on plates with pears, toasted pecans and sprouts. Serve immediately.
• Whisk the oil, grapefruit juice and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Stir in mint and add drops of hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to develop.

RANCH HOUSE SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Divide greens evenly onto 4 salad plates; top with cabbage and cheese. Arrange tomato wedges and avocado over greens.
• Pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch in a skillet and heat to 350 degrees. Fry tortilla strips in hot oil until crisp, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.
• Drizzle salads with Pecan Vinaigrette and top with tortilla strips.
• For dressing, process first 5 ingredients and if desired, sherry, in a blender until smooth. Turn blender on high and add olive oil gradually in a slow, steady stream until thickened. Stir in the pecans.

ESCAROLE AND SEARED RADICCHIO SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until fragrant, 8-10 minutes; let cool. Pulse 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until coarsely ground; whisk with Citrus Vinaigrette in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Season radicchio with salt and pepper. Add radicchio to skillet. Cook, turning until both cut sides are golden brown and wilted, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
• Place escarole in a large bowl; drizzle with some of the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and tuck radicchio wedges into salad. Spoon remaining dressing over. Top salad with cheese and remaining 1/4 cup pecans.

PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN SALAD WITH FIG VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place pecans in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. Add the bread crumbs, rosemary, salt, sage, basil and cayenne; process until combined. Transfer to a shallow bowl., Coat chicken strips with pecan mixture. Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once., For vinaigrette, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt preserves. Transfer to a small bowl; add vinegar and garlic. Gradually whisk in oil., Divide salad greens among six plates; sprinkle with cheese and blueberries. Top with chicken. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.