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Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing

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Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing combines crunchy veggies, sweet berries, the most delicious fried goat cheese, some chicken, and a creamy strawberry dressing. So many wonderful flavors and textures in this healthy salad!

I love a main course salad like this one, but if you want to try others, head to my Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad, Crunchy Curry Chicken Salad or my Best Italian Chopped Salad.

Closeup of a serving bowl of fried goat cheese salad with strawberry dressing.

Goat Cheese Salad

I’m obsessed with trying new, interesting salad recipes. Back in the day, I only ate very boring salads – iceberg lettuce, carrots, cottage cheese, peas, saltine crackers (crushed) topped with some of that gross French dressing in the bottle! Remember that?

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Anyway, NO MORE boring salads for this chic. I’ve gotten wiser over the years, and yes, the internet and the massive amount of food blogs have helped tremendously!

So let’s talk about fried goat cheese salads. It’s a huge player now in our home, and I’m going to tell you why you’ll love it too.

  • A variety of greens is a wonderful base for all the flavor you’re going to add to the top.
  • Some savory nibbles, like red onion and radishes, add to the flavor profile.
  • The sweet addition of fruit is a great balance to the savory.
  • Toasted almonds adds protein and an extra crunch.
  • Some rotisserie chicken for EXTRA protein.
  • A drizzle of creamy strawberry dressing adds creaminess and some tang, and let’s face it, COLOR!
  • And last but not least, the (lightly) fried goat cheese will literally melt in your mouth, and you’ll decide that salads are the very best thing to eat. 😀
Side shot of two bowls of fried goat cheese salad.

Ingredients for Strawberry Salad Dressing:

  • Strawberries – Use fresh strawberries for this dressing. Just one cup of chopped berries needed.
  • Olive Oil – I prefer extra-virgin olive oil, but you could use what you have.
  • Lemon – Just a tad of lemon to add freshness.
  • Mustard – Dijon mustard makes the dressing creamy.
  • Honey – Necessary for sweetness, but you could use regular sugar too (but less).
  • Salt & Pepper – Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, always.

To make the dressing:

  • Simply, place all ingredients in a blender, and pulse until creamy.
  • Store the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • The dressing will stay fresh for several days.
Side shot of a tablespoon of salad dressing.

Ingredients needed for Fried Goat Cheese:

  • Goat Cheese – You’ll want to buy the goat cheese in a log, so you can easily cut it into one ounce sections. I used a herbed variety, but plain works great too.
  • Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but others could be substituted.
  • Egg – One large egg, whipped with a little bit of water.
  • Bread Crumbs – I went with Italian bread crumbs, but you could use a plain Panko or even homemade if you have it.
  • Olive Oil – Just a couple of tablespoons needed to lightly fry the rounds of breaded goat cheese.

How to make Fried Goat Cheese:

Step 1
Prepare goat cheese. Slice the goat cheese log into eight one-ounce sections. Pat together so each round is nice and tightly packed.

Step 2
Lightly bread the goat cheese. Place the flour, egg, and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Dip the goat cheese in the flour, fully coating each one, but shaking off excess. Then dip in the whipped egg, and finally, the bread crumbs.

Place each round on a clean plate, and refrigerate for at least an hour to make sure they stay together during the cooking process.

Step 3
Lightly fry the goat cheese. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil, and then place goat cheese rounds in the skillet.

Cook for a couple of minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown, and then flip to cook the other side. You can also use a tongs to fry the sides, by holding them up in the pan, one at a time. Remove to a clean plate.

Salad Ingredients:

  • Salad Greens – You can use a mixture of your favorite salad greens – including green and red lettuce, spinach, kale, or whatever looks fresh in the store.
  • Radishes – You’ll only need a couple radishes, sliced thin.
  • Onion – I prefer red onion in this, but you could also use green.
  • Almonds – I went with slivered almonds for a nice crunch, and toasted them until fragrant.
  • Chicken – For some extra protein, I added some rotisserie chicken. You could also cook your own.
  • Fruit – A combination of berries makes this salad pop with flavor. Fresh raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are pictured below, but you could add strawberries as well.

To assemble salads:

  1. Arrange the salad ingredients in individual bowls, making sure the ingredients are evenly dispersed.
  2. Add the warm goat cheese on top.
  3. Drizzle with the strawberry salad dressing.
  4. Dig in!
Large bowl of the salad ingredients, with wooden utensils.
Closeup of the goat cheese salad with chicken and fruit.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • How can I prep this salad ahead? You can definitely clean all the veggies and assemble everything (except goat cheese and almonds) a couple of hours in advance. Bread the goat cheese rounds ahead of time and place in the refrigerator so all you have to do is lightly fry them at meal time. I also heat up the fried goat cheese in the microwave for leftovers the next day.
  • What are the best greens to use for this salad? A variety of greens will make this salad taste amazing. I love using a mixture of kale, green, and red lettuce.
  • How long does the dressing last? The dressing lasts in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
  • Is this filling for a main course? If you add plenty of chicken and goat cheese rounds, this is a filling main course meal, even for men! You might serve some crusty bread on the side as well.
Overhead shot of two bowls of fried goat cheese salads, with strawberry dressing.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

xoxo ~Sue

Closeup of a serving bowl of fried goat cheese salad with strawberry dressing.

Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing

Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberry Salad Dressing combines crunchy veggies, sweet berries, the most delicious fried goat cheese, some chicken, and a creamy strawberry dressing. So many wonderful flavors and textures in this healthy salad!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 647kcal
Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the Fried Goat Cheese:

  • 8 oz. goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste

For the dressing:

  • 1 cup strawberries – cut into chunks
  • 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice – freshly squeezed
  • 3 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste

Other salad ingredients:

  • 12-16 cups salad greens
  • 1/4 cup radishes – sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup red onion – sliced thin
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds – toasted
  • 3 cups berries – raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
  • 2-3 cups chicken – I used shredded rotisserie chicken

Instructions

For the fried goat cheese:

  • Prep the goat cheese by slicing the log into one ounce sections. Use your hands to pat each one together.
  • Prepare separate dipping bowls for 1) flour, 2) egg (plus a dash of water), and 3) bread crumbs. Dip each goat cheese round into the flour, then the egg, and finally, the bread crumbs – shaking off excess as you go. Place on a clean plate, and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. (You can also quick freeze for about 15 minutes.)
  • Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and let heat up slightly. Then place the cold breaded goat cheese in the skillet. Watch closely, and flip after they are nice and browned on the first side. Continue cooking until all sides are browned. (I sometimes use a tongs to hold goat cheese on sides to get those browned too.)

For the strawberry dressing:

  • Place all dressing ingredients in a blender, and pulse until creamy.
  • Store the dressing until ready to use on the salad.

To assemble salads:

  • Arrange salad ingredients in individual bowls, making sure the ingredients are evenly dispersed.
  • Add the warm goat cheese on top.
  • Drizzle the strawberry dressing on top. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips for frying goat cheese:

  • Pack them. When prepping the goat cheese, use your hands to firmly pack the rounds together.
  • Refrigerate. Make sure you refrigerate the breaded rounds for at least an hour prior to sautéing. You want them nice and cold to keep them in tact when placing in a hot skillet.
  • Fry the goat cheese until golden on all sides. I also recommend holding the goat cheese on their sides with a tongs to get them browned on all sides.
  • Eat them warm! These are best eaten warm, right after cooking. You can heat up the leftovers in the microwave or a quick flip in a skillet.

Nutrition

Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2135IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Suebeehomemaker or tag #suebeehomemaker!

One Comment

  1. Favorite salad! This ones a keeper.

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