Healthy & Delicious: Mixed Greens with Pears, Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Honey Balsamic Dressing Recipe

If I had my druthers, salads would be made of nuts, cheese, and a fruity dressing with a few leaves of arugula sprinkled on top. Alas, those druthers miss the whole point of a salad, which "should" be a light, healthy meal. I'm not alone, though. Visit any restaurant, and you'll find salads packed with heavy (albeit delicious) add-ons, making them slightly less nutritious than a bag of Big Macs.

But it doesn't have to be that way. By maximizing the impact of your extras, you can create a healthy salad you'll want to eat. Let's use Mixed Greens with Pears, Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Honey Balsamic Dressing for an example. The vinaigrette recipe comes from Catherine Walthers Soups + Sides, while the remainder of the ingredients are fairly standard salad toppings.

• A little bit of an assertive fromage goes a long way. I used a pungent blue in this case.
• Amplify the nuttiness of nuts by toasting them.
• A whole, chopped up pear adds sweetness and another dose of produce.
• Toss the greens in half the dressing, so guests would get a little bit in every bite, without drenching the whole thing.

By following these simple rules, you can serve a salad that leaves room for the main course. That is, unless they want seconds.