Learn how to make the BEST Salade au Chèvre Chaud! This Warm Goat Cheese Salad is a classic French bistro recipe, and the wonderful flavor will transport you straight to Paris. It's oh so delicious and surprisingly easy to make!
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My first trip to Paris was a vacation I'll never forget. There was so much to do and see, and we pretty much ate our way through the city. We loved visiting the gorgeous markets, warming up with the best hot chocolate, and sampling pain au chocolate, sweet / savory crêpes, falafel sandwiches, fresh baguettes, and more.
We also ate in many bistros, and that's where things got a little tricky. French cooking can be pretty meat-centric, but as a vegetarian, I quickly learned that there was one classic dish I could always rely on: the Chèvre Chaud!
This Warm Goat Cheese Salad was a staple on almost every bistro menu, so I sampled them throughout the city! As a goat cheese lover, I wasn't made about it either, because they were uniformly delicious. And of course, the minute I returned home, I had to recreate that scrumptious salad (well, maybe after taking a week or two break ... I really did eat a lot of them!).
If you're looking for easy French bistro recipes, then you are going to love this delightful green salad! This recipe is the perfect combination of flavors and textures: soft greens paired with crunchy walnuts and hot goat cheese toasts. There's also a homemade vinaigrette that's bursting with flavor, yet it only takes just a few minutes to make.
Best of all though? This recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare! You don't need to spend a lot of time or effort making it, and you need just a few basic ingredients. But you can keep that little secret to yourself!
Okay, ready to get started? You'll find all the details below, so just keep scrolling!
Ingredients
This French salad recipe uses simple ingredients you can find in most grocery stores! Here's what you'll need:
- Cheese - Of course, you'll need some goat cheese! For best results, look for a semi-ripened goat cheese with a soft, edible rind, although other kinds can be used (even fresh goat cheese logs). I used Mitica Caña de Cabra, which I found at Whole Foods. You'll find lots of cheese tips in the next section.
- Bread - You'll want to use a crusty, artisan style bread for the toasts. Baguettes work perfectly, but feel free to use what you have. If you don't have a good bakery nearby, these take and bake baguettes are a dependable option (just make sure to bake them before making the toasts!).
- Greens - I used a spring mix (mesclun) for this recipe, but any soft greens (such as butter lettuce, red lettuce, green leaf, or a mixture could be used).
- Walnuts - Toasted walnuts add a wonderful nutty flavor and crunchy texture to this simple salad.
- Salad Dressing - This recipe uses my homemade French Vinaigrette, which is super easy to prepare. You'll need olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, fresh shallots (look for them in the produce section, near the onions / garlic), salt, and pepper to make it.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a baking sheet (these sturdy, nonstick sheet pans are my fave) to make the goat cheese toasts, a small bowl or jar to prepare the dressing (mason jars work great), and a large bowl to mix the salad.
Best Goat Cheese for Salad
In France, this salad is traditionally made with small discs of French goat cheese called Crottin de Chavignol. This raw milk cheese has been produced in Chavignol, France (a small village in the Loire Valley) since the 16th century. It's protected by the AOC Seal, which means that it must be made in the Chavignol area, and it must meet stringent production criteria.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to buy this cheese in the U.S. That's because American law requires any cheese aged fewer than 60 days must be made with pasteurized milk. So if you don't live in France / the EU, and you aren't able to bring home cheese in your luggage, what should you use instead?
I recommend looking for a semi-ripened goat cheese with a soft, edible rind. I found a couple options at Whole Foods (see pictures of below), but you can always ask for help at the cheese counter. I ended up using the one with the goat sticker (Mitica Caña de Cabra, a Spanish cheese that's similar to Bûcheron, another Loire Valley cheese), and it worked great! The Vermont Creamery one was really soft, bloomy, and creamy, so I ate that with some crackers instead. I also found this article written by a French cheese expert really helpful! She states that Vermont Creamery's Bijou is a dead ringer for Crottin de Chavignol. My store didn't have any, but let me know if you try it!
If you can only find (or afford) a fresh goat cheese log, the kind that almost every American grocery store carries, that's fine. The recipe will still work!
How to Make Salade de Chèvre Chaud
This Hot Goat Cheese Salad really couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Prep bread. Start by slicing your bread, rubbing it with garlic, and brushing it with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Top with cheese. Add a slice of cheese to each piece of bread, then drizzle with more olive oil.
- Bake. Transfer the toasts to your oven, then bake until they are hot and lightly browned.
- Make vinaigrette + dress greens. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by whisking the ingredients (olive oil, red wine vinegar, diced shallots, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper) together in a bowl, or shaking them together in a jar. Then toss with the spring mix.
- Assemble salad. Transfer the greens to a shallow bowl, then sprinkle with toasted walnuts and top with the goat cheese toasts.
All right, time to enjoy your amazing Salade Chèvre Chaud! Did you ever think classic French cooking could be this easy?
Variations
Part of this salad's appeal is its simplicity, but it's also easy to customize! Here are a few tempting ideas to try:
- Toasts - You can adjust the number of the toasts / amount of goat cheese depending on how hearty you would like to make the salad.
- Greens - Replace the spring mix with other soft greens, such as butter lettuce, red lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or a mixture of greens.
- Vinaigrette - This salad would also be delicious with my easy Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing, Red Wine Vinaigrette, or Honey Lemon Salad Dressing.
- Lentils - For a heartier salad, mix the greens with cooked French lentils.
- Veggies - Mix the greens with fresh or cooked veggies, such as asparagus, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, or beets.
- Fruit - Add a little sweetness with thinly sliced (or chopped) apples or pears.
- Herbs - Toss some fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, tarragon, dill, or chives) into the salad. You could also add a fresh bay leaf under the goat cheese before cooking (remove before serving), or sprinkle some rosemary, tarragon, or herbes de provence over the cheese.
- Honey - For a touch of sweetness, drizzle the cheese with honey before or after baking.
- Appetizer - Serve the toasts on their own for a quick appetizer or apéro snack, perhaps with a drizzle of honey or sprinkle of fresh herbs.
- For Non-Vegetarians - This salad is sometimes served with ham (jambon) or lardons. In fact, one of the salads I ordered in Paris had a sneaky slice of ham in it!
Serving Suggestions
This salad can be served as a starter, side salad, or as a light lunch or dinner, and it will go great with all your favorite French recipes. Interestingly, salads are often served after the main course in France. Pretty much the opposite of how it's done in the U.S, where they are typically considered an appetizer!
For spring or summer, consider pairing this salad with something light, such as a Veggie Galette or this Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce. In cooler weather, pair it with a cozy soup, like this Vegetable Soup, or a heartier dish, such as this Phyllo Vegetable Pie. For a larger meal, you could also serve it with other French inspired side dishes, such as this French Potato Salad or these easy Glazed Carrots.
Related Recipes
Looking for more simple salad ideas? Try one of these easy recipes next:
- Green Salad with Nectarines
- Caprese Freekeh Salad
- Warm Kale and Farro Salad
- Caprese Salad with Burrata
- Basic Green Salad
- Pomegranate Pear Salad
- Easy Kale Salad
Searching for more easy French recipes? You'll love my Fromage Fort, Mini Cheese Tarts, Tarte Soleil, Open Face Peach Sandwich, Apple and Brie Sandwich, Mushroom Kale Quiche, and Croquembouche, too!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Chèvre Chaud is pronounced like shev-ra sho. If you would like to hear how it sounds in French, check out this pronunciation video for chèvre and this pronunciation video for chaud (both spoken by an actual French person).
Chèvre Chaud means hot goat cheese. The word chaud means hot, while the word chèvre can mean either goat (la chèvre) or goat cheese (le chèvre). But in this case, we are obviously talking about le chèvre, goat cheese.
Traditionally, Chèvre Chaud is made with a French goat cheese called Crottin de Chavignol. If you can't find that cheese (or a similar French goat cheese), I recommend using a semi-ripened goat cheese with a soft, edible rind. I used (Mitica Caña de Cabra, and it worked really well. Vermont Creamery's Bijou is also very similar to Crottin de Chavignol. If you can only find (or afford) a fresh goat cheese log, use that. It will work fine.
Salade au Chèvre Chaud
Ingredients
For Salad:
- ¼ cup walnuts halves
- 8 ounces (227 grams) spring mix (or other mixed greens)
For Goat Cheese Toasts:
- 1 baguette
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces goat cheese, cut into 12 thin slices
For Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard (1 ½ teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees (232 C) with rack in middle.
Toast Walnuts:
- Place walnuts in a small frying pan over medium heat.
- Watching closely, cook walnuts until they are lightly browned and smell toasty, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes).
- Transfer walnuts to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then chop. Set aside.
Make Goat Cheese Toasts:
- Cut 12 slices from baguette on an angle (each ½-inch / 1.27-centimeters thick). Reserve the rest for another use.
- Slice garlic clove in half, then rub over baguette slices.
- Lightly brush baguettes slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then top each slice with a piece of goat cheese. Drizzle with more olive oil.
- Transfer goat cheese toasts to a baking sheet, then bake until lightly browned (about 7 to 10 minutes). Watch closely, so they don't overcook.
Make Dressing:
- While toasts are cooking, combine olive oil, vinegar, shallots, mustard, salt, and a few grinds pepper in a small bowl (or jar).
- Whisk (or shake, if using a jar) ingredients together until dressing looks thick and creamy.
Assemble Salad:
- In a large bowl, toss spring mix with ¼ cup vinaigrette, or just enough to lightly coat the greens (you will have extra). Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Divide greens between 4 bowls, then sprinkle with walnuts. Top each salad with 3 goat cheese toasts.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
