This is my simplified version of the classic French Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Salade de Chèvre Chaud).
Instead of coating the goat cheese in egg and breadcrumbs before frying, we simply place it on toast and warm it until crisp.
At my house, we call this the "Pierre Salad." My husband, Pierre, came up with it one evening when we needed to get dinner on the table quickly. I thought, what a brilliant idea — the same taste, less work! This dish is perfect as a first course or a light main dish.
Slices of bread
Slices of goat cheese
Mixed greens
Vinaigrette (olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, garlic, sea salt & pepper)
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and top with goat cheese.
Bake the bread and cheese at 350° F until golden brown.
Make the vinaigrette in a salad bowl, add the greens, and mix.
Plate the salad, place the toasted goat cheese on top, and enjoy.
This salad is a regular on my menu and an especially great idea when you have slightly stale bread and dry goat cheese — the stale bread is perfect for toast, and warming the cheese makes it creamy again! Not bad for a quick dish with ingredients you may have otherwise tossed out.
You can also make the toast first, then add the goat cheese and bake for about 2 minutes, just to warm it. And have fun adding other ingredients, such as prosciutto — which I also like to warm in a pan or the oven!
