Butter lettuce and Tuna Salad with pear Dressing

By dette

This is my take on a wedge salad like one you'd find as a side in a steak restaurant-a salad that often seems heavier than the steak itself! I replaced some of the ingredients with ones that are still tasty but you can feel good about eating, and I turned it into a chopped salad. But it still reminds me of a steakhouse salad@ it's meaty from the tuna, avocados and and diced pear adds sweetness along with a light fresh pear dressing. YUM. Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1/2 large ripe red Bartlett pear, peeled,cored and diced
• 1/3 c. extras-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp pear nectar
• 1 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salad
• 1 head butter lettuce, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 large ripe red Bartlett pear, peeled,cored and diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/3 c. hazelnuts (preferably skinned) toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2 (4 oz) cans tuna packed in olive oil, such as Flott drained and flaked into 1/2 - inch pieces

Preparation

Step 1

For the Dressing:
In a blender, blend together the diced pear, oil, pear nectar, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.

For the salad: Put the lettuce, pear, avocado, hazelnuts, and tuna in a bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.