Name: Spinach and Pear Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons water; 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 pears (Bosc or Anjou), cored and sliced lengthwise; 8 cups torn fresh spinach; 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Why it works: Mustard and spinach match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 503 recipes. Both carry trans-2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓

Spinach and Pear Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pears (Bosc or Anjou), cored and sliced lengthwise
8 cups torn fresh spinach
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Make the dressing

Whisk together the water, vinegar, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Assemble the salad

Add the pear slices and 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a large bowl and toss to coat.
Add the remaining dressing, spinach, and onion, and toss to coat.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

347Calories

3 gProtein

14 gFat

57 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Pear	1 medium (178g)	101
Honey	1 tbsp (21g)	64
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Spinach	1 cup raw (30g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3
Water	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Mustard + spinachtop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together503 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Honey + peartop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together171 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
Olive + spinachtop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,971 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
Red wine + peartop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together64 recipes

Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
Pepper + spinachtop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,400 recipes

Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Pears: Provide the sweet, juicy fruit that makes up most of the salad's body.
Spinach: Supplies the leafy base that the dressing clings to and wilts slightly.
Dijon mustard: Emulsifies the oil and vinegar so the dressing stays combined rather than separating.
Honey: Adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
Red wine vinegar: Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and cuts the richness of the oil.

The step that matters

Dressing the pears first. Tossing the pear slices with a portion of the vinaigrette before adding the greens lets the dressing coat the fruit evenly, so the pears are seasoned rather than left bland. Pears also discolor when exposed to air, so they should be dressed promptly.

Swap the spinach

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (red wine, vinegar, olive, honey, mustard, pepper, pear):

Capsicumfits better
Tomatofits better
Lettucefits better
Spinachthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against red wine, vinegar, olive, honey, mustard, pepper, pear. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Spinach and Pear Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette