Strawberry Goat Cheese – Summer Salad
Warm Crispy shallow fried Goat Cheese Salad with strawberries, pistachios, spring greens and delicious balsamic vinaigrette. This delicious summer salad comes together in minutes.
To change things up, I decided to share this decadent salad with you all. It’s one of my all time favorite. I don’t know why it took me so long to share it.
We both love salads so much, thank goodness. Sometimes I make a different vinaigrette for this salad, but I am going to share balsamic one with you.
Many years ago, I went for a work conference to DC and was having solo late-night dinner. I ordered this exact salad and since then love it.
I love goat cheese breaded up and shallow fried with those crispy coating and soft inside and its taste so good when its slightly warm. Lightly pan-fried goat cheese served over cool juicy summer strawberries, spring mix or arugula and pistachios will impress anyone. I have used both pistachios and pine nuts.
The best way to make sure goat cheese isn’t too soft, cut into discs and freeze it. It will retain its shape while frying instead bursting out in the oil. That way, as the coating of breadcrumbs is frying up in the hot oil, the cheese is warming up slowly. Not oozing out!
Can we talk about how beautiful this salad looks with all the colors pink-red strawberries, green salad mix, white goat cheese? From fall salad to spring/summer salads everything changes from color to the ingredients that we find seasonally.
Ingredients and Suggestions
Consider this recipe more of an adjustable, go-with-the-flow starter than a strict script.
Spring Mix – you can Ofcourse swap and use arugula, iceberg lettuce, or even spinach. All these substitutions go well. Choose your greens.
Strawberry – You can even change up or add extra fruits like black berries, raspberries, blueberries. I have tried with every other berry and love it.
Nuts – I have used pistachios and pine nuts. But pecans, walnuts and macadamia nuts or any type of seeds would also go well. You just need some crunch and texture in the salad.
Onions – I have used red onion, but you can use shallots too. I change up literally based on my mood.
Other things that can be added tomatoes, roasted or steamed beetroot. Everything pairs so well together.
I hardly use store-bought salad dressing, so I make my balsamic dressing for a week and keep it stored if I know for sure I am making salad couple of times in the week. Dressing can easily be prepared in advance and stored.
Use good quality of balsamic vinegar not the watered down one. Thick balsamic glaze would also work well.
If you are transporting this salad for a potluck or get-together, then keep the dressing in a jar and dress it just before serving. It goes without saying. Fried Goat cheese will not be warm, but it will still taste great.
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 – 1/2 cup Strawberries chopped
- 5 ounces Spring mix greens Arugula, spinach
- ¼ cup onions or shallots chopped
- ¼ cup pistachios or pine nuts, nuts of your choice
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Fried Goat Cheese
- 1 log goat cheese
- ¼ cup any liquid milk or buttermilk
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Panko style breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning or oregano
- Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Slice the goat cheese log into 10-12 half inch rounds/discs. Wrap them and place them in the freezer for at least ½ hour.
- Mix all the ingredients of the dressing in a jar or measuring cup. Stir and shake the jar well to mix everything well.
- Prepare 3 bowls one with liquid, one with all-purpose flour mixed with black pepper, seasoning and one with breadcrumbs.
- Place a small pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan. While the oil is heating, start coating the goat cheese discs. Quickly dip the frozen cheese rounds into the liquid, then flour, liquid again and then in panko breadcrumbs. Use a fork so that your hands are not picking up all the crumbs or flour etc.
- Place them into the pan, leaving some room in between. Pan-fry the cheese for 1 to 2 minutes per sides until it reaches a light golden color. Flip with a spatula or tongs. Remove the fried cheese and place it on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil. Repeat with rest of the rounds of cheese.
- In a mixing bowl, add greens, onions, nuts, strawberries and drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette and give it a toss. Make sure it is seasoned as well. Place few fried goat cheese rounds on top of the salad. Serve while the cheese is warm!