Warm Crusted Goat Cheese Salad (Pan-Fried)
This simple goat cheese salad stars a round of goat cheese, breaded and fried to a golden brown, then nested on dressed greens. Pretty, creamy, tangy and crunchy.
The goat cheese salad recipe takes less than 30 minutes including 15 minutes of refrigeration time. It makes a great first course or brunch addition, it gets rave reviews from goat cheese lovers, and it turns a boring salad into something special.
What to expect
Creamy goat cheese has a distinctive flavor – tangy, earthy and salty. The goat cheese in this salad is slightly warmed and softened with a bit of crunch on the exterior from the breading.
The pan-fried breaded goat cheese sits on a simple salad of mixed red and green lettuce, garnished with ingredients of your choice.
I like to use a simple vinaigrette dressing, but if you have a similar favorite, go ahead and use that.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Goat cheese: Buy a log of goat cheese at your local grocery store. Whole logs come in different flavors – plain goat cheese, honey, herbed, peppercorn, garlic – so feel free to experiment. You can substitute the goat cheese with feta cheese or blue cheese (stronger), ricotta (milder) or fresh mozzarella (mild).
Salad greens: – Arugula goat cheese salad is a popular choice. Almost any fresh greens will work – spring mix, baby greens, romaine lettuce, baby spinach. Choose your favorites.
Vinaigrette: We use a basic vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, Dijon and olive oil. Other good vinaigrette dressing options are lemon, raspberry, honey-mustard, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs. I don’t suggest a creamy dressing as it might prevent the beautiful colors from shining through.
Garnish and salad add-ins: red or golden beets or carrots, red onion, dried fruit, chopped toasted crunchy pecans or candied pecans (or other nuts), sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomato slivers.
Add-in Variations
Added protein: Feel free to throw in some crispy bacon, shredded chicken breasts, grilled shrimp or slices of grilled steak to create a light main dish.
Added fruit: Add a pop of color and sweetness with fresh berries like sweet strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries. Slices of sweet peaches and figs are other great choices.
Step by step instructions
Goat cheese tips
Some people are put off by the taste of goat cheese. Food & Wine talks about some mistakes to avoid with purchasing goat cheese for the best and freshest flavor and texture.
Here is a guide to 10 essential goat cheeses by Serious Eats.
Shortcuts
- Some stores like Whole Foods sell precut goat cheese medallions.
- Buy prewashed salad greens
- Instead of homemade dressings, buy your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing.
Make Ahead
- The goat cheese can be breaded, fried and set aside a few hours ahead. It will be fine at room temperature. If you prefer it warm, reheat it in a medium pan for a few minutes or in the microwave for 8 seconds.
- The dressing can also be made ahead, but toss it with the greens just before serving so they don’t get soggy.
Recipe FAQs
To make nice clean, non-crumbly slices, chill the goat cheese. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it, and make a firm slice (don’t saw the cheese). Repeat for remaining slices.
You can bake the breaded goat cheese rounds instead of frying them, but they will be less crispy. Dip the rounds in olive oil then coat in breadcrumbs. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray with oil. Bake at 400F/204C for about 10 minutes until browned.
What to serve with this delicious salad
For a full meal, consider serving the goat cheese salad with Vegetable Bean and Barley Soup, Red Lentil Vegetable Soup or Squash, Sweet Potato & Mandarin Soup.
Or serve it as the perfect side salad with a main course of Maple Balsamic Rainbow Trout, Sous Vide New York Strip Steak, Crispy Baked Fish, Marinated Grilled Pork Chops or Grilled Vietnamese Chicken.
More salad ideas
Or check out our full variety of salad recipes.
If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟in the recipe card below. And if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments. Thanks very much!
Warm Crusted Goat Cheese Salad (Pan-Fried)
Ingredients
- 4 slices of goat cheese (3/4 inches/2 cm each), Note 1 total 200-250g
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup panko or regular bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups salad greens, Note 2
- Garnish options: thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes, toasted chopped nuts, dried cranberries, julienne beets or carrots
Vinaigrette Dressing, Note 3
- 1 shallot, minced (optional) or green onions
- 1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- BREAD THE GOAT CHEESE: Dredge the goat cheese slices in flour, dip in egg mixture then in crumbs. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours). This helps the bread crumbs adhere.
- MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Mix the first 5 vinaigrette dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a small sealed container and shake well.
- FRY THE GOAT CHEESE: Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Fry the goat cheese slices about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on paper towel. Set aside.
- ASSEMBLE SALAD: In a large salad bowl, toss the salad with 3-4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette dressing. Divide among 4 plates. Place a crusted goat cheese slice on top of each salad. Sprinkle on garnishes of your choice and serve. Alternatively, serve salad topped with goat cheese in a large shallow bowl for guests to help themselves.
Recipe Notes
- Goat cheese: Use any flavor you like – honey, herb, peppercorn, etc. Substitute feta (stronger), ricotta (milder), or fresh mozzarella (mild).
- Salad greens – any mixed greens will work – spring mix, baby greens, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, arugula salad, etc.
- Vinaigrette options: honey lemon dressing, balsamic, raspberry or strawberry vinaigrette, herb dressing.Â
- To bake breaded goat cheese rounds (instead of frying):Â Dip the rounds in olive oil then coat in breadcrumbs. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray with oil. Bake at 400F/204C for about 10 minutes until browned. They will be less crispy than fried, but still soft and creamy.Â
- Make ahead:
- The goat cheese can be breaded, fried and set aside a few hours ahead. It will be fine at room temperature. If you prefer it warm, reheat it in a medium pan for a few minutes or in the microwave for 8 seconds.
- The dressing can also be made ahead, but toss it with the greens just before serving so they don’t get soggy.
Nutrition
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Leanne Rabinowitz at Maplehern Cooking School in Toronto.
