Caramelized Onion Salad With Goats Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Pears and Arugula

Onions, onions... I have to admit that for the majority of my life I have not been a fan. But as soon as I started really getting into cooking I realized that onions make just about everything taste better. Yes Dad I said it! From the time that I was a little girl I can remember my Dad sauteing onions every Saturday night many times making his "Spuds". I think that he particularly enjoyed making his "Spuds" as I became a teenager. There is nothing like going out on Saturday night smelling like onions. Some Dads clean their guns at the table when boys come to pick up their daughters for a date, but not my Dad he would pull out the onions. Aw well now I am the one smelling like onions all on my own accord. So if you are sitting next to me someday wondering, what is that smell? Just know that it is the onions and I couldn't do it without them. This week I am making Caramelized Onion Salad with Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Pears and Baby Arugula. Wow that is a long name! I need a new name for this and I am taking suggestions... Anyone?

Caramelized Onion Salad With Goats Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Pears and Arugula

I do have to warn you before you get started that this dish has a few steps but don't let that stop you from making this delicious salad, you can do just about all of them ahead of time. This salad would compliment any meal as a side salad or be excellent as a main dish. Let's get cooken'! The first thing that you want to do to get this salad put together is to make the Candied Walnuts. They take a while to dry and set up so you want to make these ahead of time. You can also buy them already made if you are short on time.

2 C. Toasted Walnuts

1/3 C. Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. Butter

1/8 Tsp. Salt

1/4 C. Water

In a saute pan start by toasting your walnuts over medium heat stirring them frequently and don't walk away! Nuts can burn very fast. As soon as you begin to smell them they are done. Take them out of the pan and set them aside. Then add the remaining ingredients to your pan and bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Then add the walnuts back to your pan and cook them for 4 minutes longer stirring often. Pour them out onto a parchment lined baking sheet separate them so that they don't stick together and allow to cool and set up for at least 2 hours.

Next we move on to the croutons, yes that's right homemade croutons. Of course you could just buy them if you are short on time. But there is just no comparison between homemade croutons and store bought stale croutons and they are very easy to make. Here is what you will need.

1 Loaf "Bountiful" Sourdough Bread (Appox. 4 C.)

1/4 C. Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Fresh Thyme

Set your oven to 375 degrees. Dice your bread into 1/2 inch squares. Then pour them into a bowl. Pour the olive oil over the top of them and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss them together until the squares are completely covered. Then pour them out onto a baking sheet and bake them for 15-20 minutes stirring them often until they are golden brown and crispy.

They also are great just to eat like a snack. Kind of like homemade crackers. My kids just loved them, I had to stop them from eating all of them before I got the salad put together. Now for the rest of the salad. Here is what you will need.

3 "Bountiful" Onions Sliced Thinly

1 Head "Bountiful" Romain, Washed Chopped

Baby Arugula

2-3 Pears, Sliced Thinly

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (I like the condensed kind)

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Tsp. Pepper

And don't forget these last two ingredients! It just wouldn't be a Butters in The Kitchen photo shoot if I didn't forget to add something into the picture:)

I love this dressing! It is Briannas Blush Dressing. It is a vinaigrette and absolutely perfect for this salad. It is also good though with a balsamic vinegar dressing, if you prefer it. This next picture is of the Goats Cheese that I used. I just got this at Costco and it is very good. If you are not failure with Goats Cheese it is a very creamy cheese that has a bit of tang to it. It compliments this salad very well. You want to crumble about 1/4lb. of it with a fork to top this salad.
Helpful Hint: If you are not a fan of Goats Cheese or it makes you a bit uneasy, feta would work just fine here as well. Also as you might notice from my picture above I used Bosc Pears for this salad, they were what I could find that were ripe when I needed them, but feel free to use what ever pears you like.

Now you maybe asking what does this picture have to do with this salad and well I'll tell you. This is a picture of my Dad, the onion lover himself. He was my honorary Sous Chef the day that I made this salad. He caramelized the onions for me. I tried to get a picture of him doing it for me with his apron on but he got an important phone call just as I was about to take it so this will have to do.

Now it is time to bring on the onions! Once you have them thinly sliced. Pour your olive oil into a saute pan and turn your stove on to medium high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer a bit your pan is hot and ready to start sauteing. Add your onions, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar into your pan. Then saute them until they are dark golden brown and caramelized. This takes about 18-20 minutes or until they look like this.

Does this look like a big bowl of worms to anyone else? Just thought I would ask:) You can imagine why I might have and aversion to this slimy veggie as a little girl. But if there worms at least they are good tasting worms. I am sure that if you have little boys they would get a kick out of eating worm salad for dinner! But if you think they might be grossed out by it like I would have been best not to mention it. Once you have your big bowl of worms you will need to set them aside and let them cool a bit so that they don't wilt your greens. Now it is time to assemble your salad and enjoy! I had to throw in this one last picture of the salad before the croutons because I think that it turned out absolutely beautiful and the croutons kind of hid it a bit. I hope you love it!