Green & Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
Oh yes, you read that right… fried goat cheese. These little bits of crispy, warm, cheesy, deliciousness are coming to you today. I love this recipe. It’s fairly simple, and can be made as a meal in itself, or used as a side. We enjoyed ours one evening with fillet mignon, and it was to die for. The kids loved it, Clint loved it… there wasn’t a leaf of spinach or kale left. That is always a good sign that this salad wasn’t just your typical ‘whip it up for dinner real quick’ side, but an intentional accompaniment to your main dish… and then the main dish for lunch the next day. I paired this Green & Fried Goat Cheese Salad with a delicious Creamy Dill Dressing that I made and all I can say is “more please?”.
It doesn’t take too long to make this salad more then just your basic left over side dish, but trust me it’s worth every minute.
- 1/2 cucumber peeled & chopped
- 3 cups mixed greens, I used a 50/50 mix of spinach & kale
- 3 tbsp pepitas
- 1/2 cup yellow pepper diced
- 1/4 cup season breadcrumbs (do not use panko as they will burn at high heat)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- small log of goat cheese, cut into 1 inch slices.
- keep your goat cheese in the fridge until the very last minute when you plan to cut it… so start with the dressing!
- Place the bread crumbs, eggs, and flour onto individual plates (one for each).
- Add salt & pepper to the bread crumbs and stir to mix in.
- Cut the goat cheese log into 1-inch rounds.
- Working quickly, place the log into the flour, then egg mixture and finally into the bread crumbs. Place on a plate and continue with the remaining pieces.
- Place the plate of goat cheese balls in the fridge and let cool back down for at least 10-15 minutes. If making in advance, you can keep these little gems in the fridge uncovered for up to an hour. (This is the time to make the salad while the goat cheese hardens again).
- In a pan on high heat, spray with a little pam and place the goat cheese balls gently down. Cook for about 4-6 minutes (or until golden) and flip. Flip only once and continue cooking (about 4 minutes) until the centre feels soft. You don’t want the cheese to melt, but you want the coating to get a nice golden brown look and crispy.
- In a salad bowl mix the washed & chopped vegetables.
- On each plate add the mixed salad.
- Add about 1-2 tbsp of dressing over.
- Add 2-3 warm goat cheese balls on top.
Creamy Dill Dressing:
- 4 tbsp fat free plain greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 5 tsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
To make the dressing:
- Add everything into a food processor or blender and mix well.
- Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
The pepitas give this meal an awesome crunch, and the warm goat cheese balls… they just take it up a notch! And since I’m so addicted to lime and cumin this time of year, the creamy dill flavour is a really nice change. Like I said, I had this for lunch but we enjoyed it as a family for dinner with fillet mignon, and it was like we were eating out a restaurant. Between you and me, I make be the primary chef in our household, but Clint can barbecue a steak better then anyone I know, and both of us enjoy our steak with a little salt & pepper sprinkled on before cooking. Nothing fancy… but so delicious.
Crack open the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and welcome a good meal with great conversation! Happy monday everyone and I hope you have a great week!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Like what you see? Have questions? Concerns? Comments? Let me know, don’t be shy! Comment below or send me an email at fuchsiafreezer@gmail.com. Hazel still hasn’t made her debut yet, so be rest assured, there’s still lots to come on the blog. Plus my awesome Foodie Mamas will be joining us this month as well with our new recipe round up! Have a great day!
Cheers xo
Update (July 2015): This recipe was featured on the #TryABiteTuesday Link Party #10! So blessed and grateful to Debra from Bowl Me Over for the pick! Make sure to check out the other great recipes selected along with the other awesome link ups!
Fried goat cheese?! You so have me here! I love goat cheese on basically everything so I know I will love this!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE goat cheese but I have never tried to fry it. I can’t wait to try to make this. I usually avoid it at restaurants because it’s clearly not gluten-free but I should be able to make a GF version pretty easily. Love this!
Fried goat cheese? Can anything sound yummier? This is the kind of salad even my kiddos won’t say no to! Yum!
There is a local restaurant that has a very similar salad and I am OBSESSED with it. Thank you for giving me the recipe to make it at home, looks great!
Looks good! I think my husband would love this. I’ve never heard of pepitas before?
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. I use unsalted as they give a nice crunch but won’t over power what you’re eating. I use them in salads, my homemade granola, in muffins… A nice added layer of flavour 🙂 you can get them at a bulk food store or at the grocery store with all the other nuts.
Loving the fried goat cheese! Think I’ll have to whip up this salad the next time we have guests for dinner!
I love fried goat cheese! I have never done it myself but I have had it before…it’s so good! Perfect for your recipe!
We eat a lot of salad, and this recipe sounds amazing! My question is where do you find goat cheese? I would love to try it.
I find goat cheese with the soft cheeses (around the deli section) at my local grocery store. It typically comes in two sizes of “logs” (it’s round and air sealed that way). For this recipe I used the small log as you will get quite a good amount of goat cheese balls for 2-4 people. If there are more then 4 adults eating, then I suggest using the larger one. 🙂 I hope you enjoy!!
This looks great. I wonder if this would work with other types of cheeses? I don’t usually eat goat cheese but I love the idea of frying it.
I don’t know about hard cheeses… But if you used a soft cheese similar to goat cheese it would be good. Or if you were worried about a bland flavour, maybe try using herb & garlic goat cheese? That would work well in its place as well 🙂
We love fried goat cheese. It pairs so well with greens. I would love to have this delicious salad for lunch today.
I need that fried goat cheese in my life! Looks absolutely incredible.
OK, I know what I am having for dinner tomorrow night. And maybe the night after that. And again for lunch. LOL
I hope you enjoy! It really was a winner in my household!
OMG I love fried goat cheese like this! YUM! Love the pepitas too!
I’m not sure about the goat cheese, but I LOVE dill and I can’t wait to try your recipe. Thank you!!
I love fried goat cheese- what a great way to add a bit of the fanciness that you find at restaurants to a home cooked meal!
This salad looks absolutely intoxicating! Thanks for sharing your recipe at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.
My husband would LOVE this. He loves goat cheese anything. Thank you for sharing it with us!
I love a great salad and homemade dressing…the best! I’ll be featuring your recipe this week – Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your recipe with us at Try a Bite Tuesdays!
Thanks Debra! That’s so exciting! What a honour! 🙂 have a GREAT day!
This looks delicious! Thank you.