Pear-Hazelnut Dressing

From EatingWell: Summer 2002 — Subscribe Now!

Pure hazelnut oil adds a deep, dark nuttiness to this sweet and tangy dressing that marries beautifully with mixed bitter greens or Bibb lettuce salads topped with fresh and dried fruit, such as pears and figs, and chopped toasted hazelnuts.

About 1 cup

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 8-ounce can pears in light syrup
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil, or walnut oil (see Ingredient note)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Drain pears, reserving 2 tablespoons of the syrup. Combine the pears and reserved syrup with vinegar, oil, wine, salt and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth. Stir in chives.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Note: If you do not have any nut oil on hand, use extra-virgin olive oil.
Nut oils: Oils pressed from hazelnuts and walnuts add a special fragrance to salad dressings. And from a nutritional point of view, they are a good choice because they contain a high ratio of monounsaturated fats. Nut oils are available in specialty stores—be prepared, they can be expensive. Nut oils are prone to rancidity, so store them in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Per tablespoon: 26 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 20 mg sodium; 4 mg potassium.

Exchanges: Free Food