Description
Warm goat cheese salad with toasted pine nuts, dried cherries and radish? Can you say summer salad? You'll love this light meal option. The warm goat cheese really makes it!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Salad
- 1 package of greens, any kind (enough for 4)
- 1 4-ounce package of goat cheese
- 1 2-ounce jar of pine nuts (see note#1)
- 1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (yield: approx. ¾ cup)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 clove minced garlic
- pinch of salt & pepper
- small sprig of rosemary (optional)
Instructions
- Toast your pine nuts in a small pan on low heat for about 5 minute. Stir them to make sure all sides get toasted. I usually toast the whole jar since it’s small. I save the leftovers for a snack or more salad the next day. If you don't want to use the whole jar just use 2 tablespoons - that should be enough.
- For the vinaigrette: mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. The mustard will help emulsify the dressing so that it thickens and stays together.
- Thinly slice your red onion and radish.
- Slice goat cheese rounds and place on a foiled tray. Broil in toaster oven for a few minutes until cheese is browned on top. Keep your eye on it.
- Assemble your salad. Put salad on plate. Top with red onion, radish, dried cherries, toasted pine nuts and your warm goat cheese. Drizzle on your balsamic vinaigrette.
Chef Tip: Make sure your salads are ready to go when the goat cheese is finished broiling. You want to place it on top of salad and serve immediately. If the goat cheese sits out it will harden when it cools. Still tastes great – but warm goat cheese is better.
Notes
- About pine nuts. They can be hard to find in the grocery store. They are also called pignoli nuts. At my local grocery store they are in the pasta aisle with the Pastene display. They aren’t usually in the nut aisle – not sure why. You will have more than you need for this recipe, but I usually toast them in use them in my salads and also snack on them.
- Dried cherries. There is usually a section at the grocery store for “dried fruits” and this is where you will find them. However, if you’re in New England and you shop at Market Basket they are not usually in with the rest of the dried fruit in the dried fruit aisle. Market Basket has a dried fruit section in their produce department too. This is where the dried cherries are.