Greens with Warm Breaded Goat Cheese and Fig Balsamic

It’s no secret that I love a good salad. It’s also no secret that I am a big fan of goat cheese. Put the two together and well…I am a  happy girl. If you are a longtime viewer of my blog you have probably noticed goat cheese is a common ingredient in my salads. Goat cheese is soft, creamy and mildly flavored, I love it. Needless to say these Greens with Warm Breaded Goat Cheese and Fig Balsamic is one of my all time favorite salads.
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Greens with Warm Breaded Goat Cheese and Fig Balsamic:

There aren’t a lot of ingredients in this simple salad. I use organic baby greens, thinly sliced pears, caramelized pecans and top it off with warm breaded goat cheese! It’s truly a dreamy meal or lovely side dish. Our dressing is also simple: olive oil and fig balsamic, with a touch of honey and dijon. If you prefer, you may also use a traditional balsamic vinegar.

The Goat Cheese:

The star of this incredible salad is the goat cheese encrusted in Italian bread crumbs and fried in butter for a crispy outside and warm delicious inside. Simply heavenly! Now for a pro tip: use dental floss to slice goat cheese. It works so much better than a knife!

The Caramelized Pecans:

Caramelized pecans add so much to a salad. You can buy them or  learn to make caramelized pecans by clicking here.

What you will need: a good quality fig balsamic. If you prefer, you may also use a traditional balsamic vinegar. 

One of my all-time favorite salads. If feeding a group. Prepare everything in advance and cook goat cheese right before serving!

Course:

Salad

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

party recipe, weeknight dinner

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Linda Spiker

Dressing:

• 1/3
  cup
  Olive Oil
• 3
  Tablespoons
  Fig or traditional Balsamic Vinegar
• 1
  teaspoon
  honey
• 1
  teaspoon
  Dijon mustard
• 1
  pinch
  of sea salt
• a few turns freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• 5
  oz
  bag mixed baby greens
• 1
  ripe Asian pear, or your favorite variety thinly sliced
• Desired amount of Caramelized Nuts (or plain if you prefer)
• Warm Breaded Goat Cheese Rounds, recipe below

Warm Breaded Goat Cheese:

• 8
  oz
  Goat Cheese, sliced into ¼” rounds (use dental floss for easy slixing!)
• 2/3
  cups
  bread crumbs with Italian seasoning
• 2
  egg whites, beaten with a tablespoon of water
• 1
  Tablespoon
  Butter
• 1
  Tablespoon
  Olive oil

For Dressing:

1. Combine dressing ingredients in container with lid. Shake. Set aside.

For Salad:

1. Place greens, sliced pears and caramelized nuts on a platter

For Warm Breaded Goat Cheese:

1. Whisk egg whites and water in shallow bowl, set aside

2. Slice goat cheese into ¼ inch rounds. Dental floss works really well for slicing soft goat cheese. If slices fall apart, just press together with palms.

3. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs whites and water. Place bread crumbs into another shallow bowl. Dip each slice of goat cheese in egg white mixture and then into breadcrumbs, coating all sides. Place on a plate and chill for 15 minutes in fridge.

4. When you are ready to cook goat cheese, toss salad with dressing and divide onto plates

5. Heat butter and olive oil in pan on med/high heat. When hot, very gently place goat cheese rounds in pan.

6. When breadcrumbs are golden (60-90 seconds), use two forks to gently turn over goat cheese

7. When second side is golden remove immediately and place cheese on top of dressed salad. Don’t be surprised if you lose a couple along the way…they can fall apart easily. I always make a few more than I need, just in case.