Salade au Chèvre Chaud
This delicious Warm Goat Cheese Salad is a classic French bistro dish that's easy to make and totally irresistible!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 410kcal
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
Goat Cheese - In France, this salad is often made with small discs of French goat cheese called Crottin de Chavignol, a raw milk cheese produced in the Loire Valley. It isn't possible to buy this cheese in the U.S., so look for a semi-ripened goat cheese with a soft, edible rind. I used Mitica Caña de Cabra (found at Whole Foods), and it worked great! Vermont Creamery's Bijou is another good option that's similar to Crottin de Chavignol. Fresh goat cheese logs (the kind found in any American grocery store) will also work.
Bread - Baguettes work great for this recipe, but any sort of crusty, artisan bread may be used. You can also adjust the number of toasts, depending on how hearty you want the salad to be.
More Tips - Make sure to read the info before this recipe card for helpful tips, recipe variations, servings suggestions, and more!