Breaded And Baked Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

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Sometimes, nothing is more satisfying for a light meal than a flavorful salad, especially one layered with complex flavors and textures. This breaded and baked goat cheese salad recipe  –  courtesy of Chowhound developer Julie Kinnaird  –  pays tribute to a classic French appetizer of hearty greens and warm breaded goat cheese. Rather than frying the cheese patties as is traditional, Kinnaird bakes them for an easy and mess-free preparation, which also has a lighter flavor. Kinnaird gives this recipe a Provençal flair by infusing the breading with herbes de Provence and dressing the salad with a traditional mustard vinaigrette. A topping of dried tart cherries and toasted walnuts gives the salad some extra sweetness and crunch.

What makes this recipe special is the contrast of temperatures. Fresh goat cheese rounds are breaded and baked until golden and soft inside and served atop a cool mix of slightly bitter greens, which are tamed by a touch of honey in the dressing. Thinly sliced fennel adds a fresh crunch and a bit of anise flavor that helps tie all of the ingredients together. Pair the salad with some crusty bread and a glass of French rosé, and you will quickly be transported to the lavender fields of Provence.

To make the breading, you will need plain dry breadcrumbs, dried herbes de Provence, and freshly cracked black pepper. Make sure the breadcrumbs are dried and not fresh, as this helps them adhere to the goat cheese. Select a plain log of goat cheese and a good quality extra-virgin olive oil to both coat the cheese and add to the dressing. Other dressing ingredients you will need are red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, honey, and sea salt. For the salad, you will need frisee lettuce, radicchio, Belgian endive, and a bulb of fresh fennel. You will finish the salad with dried cherries and toasted walnuts.

In a shallow dish, mix together the breadcrumbs, herbes de Provence, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Slice the goat cheese into 8 rounds, reshaping into discs if needed.

Place the goat cheese rounds into another shallow dish and drizzle them with ¼ cup olive oil, turning to coat.

Coat each goat cheese round with the breadcrumb mixture and transfer to a plate.

Refrigerate the breaded goat cheese for 1 hour to firm up.

While the goat cheese chills, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and add the walnuts.

Bake the walnuts for 10 minutes until lightly toasted.

Remove the walnuts from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, honey, sea salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.

Gradually whisk in the remaining ½ cup olive oil and set aside.

Wash and pat dry all the greens.

Cut or tear the frisee into bite-sized pieces.

Remove the core from the radicchio and thinly slice.

Cut the endive crosswise into rounds.

Remove the green stalks and core from the fennel bulb and thinly slice the rest.

Add all the greens and fennel to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 F.

Remove the goat cheese from the refrigerator and evenly space the rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the goat cheese for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

While the goat cheese bakes, add the toasted walnuts and the cherries to the bowl with the greens.

Drizzle on enough dressing to lightly coat and toss to mix.

Mound the greens onto 4 salad plates and top with the warm goat cheese.

Drizzle with a little more dressing and serve immediately.

Herbes de Provence is an aromatic seasoning blend that typically includes thyme, oregano, savory, lavender, and rosemary. These are all plants that grow abundantly on the hillsides and in the fields of Provence in southern France. Here, the intense sun, rich soil, and productive growing season all create the ideal climate for herbs to thrive. In Provence, herbs have come to symbolize the legendary gastronomic culture of the region. French families likely created their own treasured blends of regional herbs to reflect their personal preferences.

Herbes de Provence are most often used to flavor poultry or lamb and robust stews and to marinate goat cheeses and olives. Herbes de Provence stand up to the strong flavors of grilled fish and can be combined with piquant ingredients like Dijon mustard or capers. The herb blend works well sprinkled over sliced potatoes before they're roasted or tossed with tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, or onions before grilling. It is also the classic flavoring for late summer ratatouille.

This salad is easy to vary in many delicious ways, starting with the goat cheese. Rather than using a plain chèvre variety, try using a goat cheese that is already infused or rolled in herbs or black peppercorns. This will add a further dimension of flavor to your breaded and baked cheese rounds. You can also vary the herbes de Provence by making your own dried herb blend to compliment the flavor of the cheese. This can be further enhanced by using a rye or other whole-grain bread in the breading. Gluten sensitivity? Just substitute in a gluten-free bread to make the dry breadcrumbs. 

The greens used in this recipe are fairly sturdy and can withstand the warmth of the freshly baked cheese without becoming overly wilted. Other suitable and tasty options might include romaine, kale, or Swiss chard. You could also try replacing the dried cherries with blueberries, and pistachios or hazelnuts would also be delicious in place of the walnuts.