In this post I’ll be sharing the classic Southern Pear Salad Recipe.
One evening I said “Do y’all remember the pear salad we used to have at school?”, and of course everyone did. We kind of giggled, then I said “But I liked it”, and it turns out so did everyone else.
I remember my grandmother making pear salad and I wanted nothing to do with it. Being in school though, everyone else was eating it, so I tried it. I’ve liked it ever since.
I don’t know if they still serve this in schools and you don’t see this classic served often anymore. It is one of the easiest things to make. If you’ve never had it, you have to try it.
I made it and served prior to tonight’s supper and I’ll be serving this old fashioned classic at Easter this year.
Southern Pear Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 16 ounce can of pear halves, drained
- Lettuce Leaves
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
- Mayonnaise, preferably Dukes
- Maraschino Cherries (optional)
Lay out a lettuce leaf and place pear half on top. Add about 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise to the top of each pear and sprinkle on cheddar cheese over the mayonnaise. I’ve seen recipes where people will top it with a cherry, but I don’t care for the cherry.
The cherries were often a garnish when company was visiting for supper. We usually had the basic salad.
Its so fresh and delicious. I haven’t tried this yet but I bet it might even be good with a dollop of pimento cheese if you wanted to use that instead of the mayonnaise and cheese.
This recipe has also evolved and some folks prefer to use either cottage cheese or cream cheese instead of the mayonnaise. For me, some things are best left as they were and I’ll always prefer my pear salad with a dollop of mayonnaise.
If you’d like to add a small touch of color, I like to add a pinch or two of paprika.
Vintage Salad Recipe
Let’s make this beloved classic Southern Pear Salad Recipe.
Yield: 6 Servings
Southern Pear Salad Recipe
Classic old school Southern Pear Salad recipe made with just a few basic ingredients has been loved for generations.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Total Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
- 16 oz. can of pear halves, drained
- Lettuce Leaves
- 1/4 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise, preferably Dukes
- 6 Maraschino Cherries (optional)
Instructions
- Lay out a lettuce leaf and place pear half on top. Add about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to the top of each pear then a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Garnish with a maraschino cherry if desired.
Notes
Pimento cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese are sometimes used instead of mayonnaise.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 119Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g
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Meet Julia
Author of Julia's Simply Southern
About Julia
Hey Y'all! I'm Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia's Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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Todd
Sunday 22nd of August 2021
My mother made this, but always with cottage cheese. It never entered my mind to use something else. I prefer cream cheese to cottage cheese, particularly the onion and chives cream cheese. The makings just went on my grocery list.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
Thursday 22nd of February 2018
I had a reader looking for this recipe! Just sent them your link!
Julia Jordan
Thursday 22nd of February 2018
Angie, Thank you so much :)
Susan the Farm Quilter
Wednesday 21st of February 2018
Just popping over from Southern Plate - thank you for this recipe! I had it for the first time when I was visiting a friend in Texas...definitely NEVER served at school in Nevada!! I loved it but wasn't sure what she put on it...now that I know, I'll be serving it often!
Julia Jordan
Wednesday 21st of February 2018
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the pear salad :)
ChristinaC
Monday 31st of July 2017
My mom made this for us all the time growing up. I loved it so much.
Julia
Wednesday 2nd of August 2017
It's always been a favorite of mine!
Pam G
Saturday 22nd of July 2017
My Aunt Lena used to make this salad all summer long, this is one of my favorites, thanks for bringing it back. Pam
Julia
Saturday 22nd of July 2017
Thanks for stopping by Pam! I hope you get to enjoy this classic again soon.