Baked Goat Cheese Salad
Here’s a salad that we think even the salad skeptics will enjoy! A bed of leafy greens tossed with toasted sunflower seeds, topped with warm goat cheese rounds, and finished with tangy champagne vinegar.
But we’ll be honest, the real shining star of this salad is the baked goat cheese. (You could probably even do without the greens if you wanted.) We went with CHEVOO’s Urfa Chili & Lemon for its sophisticated mix of citrus and heat. The velvety cheese is gently blended with Urfa chili peppers and marinated in a lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil blend.
And while this marinated goat cheese is excellent slathered on bread, coating it with breadcrumbs and baking it takes the cheese up a notch.
Baked Goat Cheese Salad
What you need
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. table salt
- 4 cups greens (spring mix is especially good for this salad!)
- 4 oz. CHEVOO Urfa Chili & Lemon Goat Cheese, olive oil reserved
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. champagne vinegar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss sunflower seeds, chili powder, and salt. Spread on the pan to an even layer, and place in oven. Bake for five minutes or until seeds are lightly browned. Remove from the oven, set seeds aside to cool, and wipe down the baking sheet.
Remove goat cheese curds from the olive oil and press into small ½-inch thick rounds. Coat rounds with breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to help them stick. Flip rounds over and coat the other side as well.
Grease baking pan lightly and place goat cheese rounds on the pan. Bake for eight to ten minutes or until golden and bubbly. While goat cheese is baking, place vinegar in a medium bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil into vinegar and whisk quickly to combine. Place greens and the cooled sunflower seeds in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss to combine. Remove goat cheese from the oven and serve warm on top of the salad.
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