Gluten-Free Blue Cheese and Pear Salad Recipe

I found one of the most difficult things when I was first diagnosed with Celiac disease was sorting through the various sources of information to determine the veracity of each. I quickly discovered that the resources I was initially given were out of date, questioning the status of items that are indeed gluten-free. While it has long been established that distillation removes gluten from most vinegars and alcohols, there remains some debate about the presence of gluten in blue cheese. Some blue cheeses are started on a bread mold, but most are not. While the question remains open about whether or not any gluten remains from the bread mold, there are plenty of options available to satisfy your gluten-free blue cheese cravings.

After my gluten-free trip to Paris, I put my obsession with cheese and all things French to work in the kitchen with this gluten-free blue cheese and pear salad. If you have never made your own dressing for a salad, I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s surprisingly simple, and the results are far superior to any store bought salad dressings. I used pecans in this recipe because my dinner guest preferred them over walnuts, but either work beautifully. Just toast them in the oven for 8 minutes at 325 degrees to heighten their flavor – it’s worth the extra effort.

I served this salad as a starter for a dinner with my Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

Gluten-Free Blue Cheese and Pear Salad Recipe (adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten)

4-6 heads of endive
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 ripe pears, halved, cored, and sliced (I used Bosc but Bartlett would work well also)
1/4 pound good gluten-free blue cheese
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves

Trim off the core end of each head of endive and slice it in half lengthwise. Cut out the cores, separate the leaves, and place 1 1/2 to 2 heads of endive on each plate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Toss the pears with half of the vinaigrette and place on the endive. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the endive leaves to moisten them. Crumble the gluten-free blue cheese onto the endive. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and serve.

To read more:
Cassandra at Delightfully Gluten-Free debunks some of the long-standing gluten-free myths.
Allison at Surefoods Living did a great analysis of gluten-free blue cheese options.

If you are gluten-free, what has your experience been with blue cheese?