Warm Goat Cheese Salad

In my opinion, there’s no better combination that fresh strawberries and goat cheese. If you are lactose intolerant, many people find that goat cheese is more tolerated. It does contain lactose, but much less than cow’s milk.

I love a salad, but during the transition months when the weather is changing, it’s nice to have something warm. This salad is a great combination of light and crispy with warm and creamy.

Why you will love this salad

• You can prep it ahead of time (without the dressing) and serve it just as the goat cheese comes out of the oven
• Goat cheese is a perfect source of protein, making this a balanced salad to serve as a meal or as a side
• The almond crust is a gluten-free breading for those with dietary restrictions, plus it provides a source of healthy fats and protein
• It is quick to prepare with minimal, yet fresh, ingredients

Ingredients you will need for this salad recipe

• Raw almonds: Unsalted, unroasted raw almonds are the best for this recipe. You will be grinding some of them down in a food processor to use in place of breadcrumbs, plus some slivered almonds to garnish the salad with
• Goat cheese: A log of goat cheese is easiest to slice, but you could also form balls of cheese from a wheel of goat cheese
• Mixed greens: Any greens you like! Spinach, Romaine, arugula, or a mix of all. You will typically need 2 cups per person
• Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are best here as the frozen ones never defrost properly for a salad. If you don’t have access to fresh strawberries, use fresh blueberries or sliced apple
• Vinaigrette ingredients: You can make a triple batch of this dressing and keep it in the fridge for the week to use as you need to. You will need Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey or maple syrup, and olive oil

How to make the almond crusted goat cheese

1. In a food processor, grind the almonds to the consistency of breadcrumbs. Transfer them to a plate and roll 1/2-3/4 inch slices, or hand-formed small balls of goat cheese (the size of a meatball) in the almond crumbs
2. Place the coated goat cheese slices in the freezer for an hour. This prevents them from melting in the oven. While you wait, preheat the oven to 400F and start prepping the rest of the salad
3. Slice strawberries and add to a platter or bowl with mixed greens and almond slivers. If you plan on adding more salad ingredients, like sliced avocado, dried fruit, seeds, or vegetables, add them now
4. Mix together the vinaigrette ingredients in a measuring cup and have ready to dress the salad once the goat cheese is out of the oven
5. When goat cheese is almost frozen, transfer to an oven-safe baking dish or baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, and bake for 10 minutes or until the almond crust is starting to brown
6. Toss the salad with the dressing and gently set the baked goat cheese onto the platter or each plate. Serve with a lemon wedge

Print

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Crispy, gluten-free almond crusted goat cheese rounds atop healthy greens and juicy strawberries, finished with honey Dijon vinaigrette.

Course Menopause Salads

Keyword gluten free, goat cheese, summer salad

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Calories

Author Jen Casey, Holistic Nutritionist

Ingredients

For the salad

• 8 cups mixed greens
• 8 strawberries
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 red onion optional

For the goat cheese

• 300g goat cheese
• 3/4 cup whole almonds

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a food processor, grind the almonds to the consistency of breadcrumbs. Transfer the ground almond to a plate and roll 1/2-3/4 inch slices, or hand-formed small balls of goat cheese (the size of a meatball) in the almond crumbs
• Place the coated goat cheese slices in the freezer for an hour. This prevents them from melting in the oven. While you wait, preheat the oven to 400F and start prepping the rest of the salad
• Slice strawberries and add to a platter or bowl with mixed greens and almond slivers. If you plan on adding more salad ingredients, like sliced avocado, dried fruit, seeds, or vegetables, add them now
• Mix together the vinaigrette ingredients in a measuring cup and have ready to dress the salad once the goat cheese is out of the oven
• When goat cheese is almost frozen, transfer to an oven-safe baking dish or baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, and bake for 10 minutes or until the almond crust is starting to brown
• Toss the salad with the dressing and gently set the baked goat cheese onto the platter or each plate. Serve with a lemon wedge