Goat Cheese Salad

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword fruit salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Servings

Calories 354kcal

Author Erin Dooner

Ingredients

For the salad:

4 cups baby arugula
2 cups baby spinach
4 oz soft goat cheese crumbled
1 1/2 cups strawberries sliced
1/4 cup red onion sliced, about 1/4 small onion
1 medium avocado diced

For the honey pecans:

1 cup pecan halves
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Honey balsamic dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the honey pecans:

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium-sized skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the pecans. Stir continuously for 3 minutes, until the pecans start to smell toasty.
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 cup pecan halves
Add the honey and stir continuously until the pecans begin to caramelize, about 2 minutes. They’re ready when the liquid has evaporated. Remove them from the heat right away to prevent burning. If they start to turn a deep brown, they’ve gone too far.
1 tablespoon honey, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Pour the pecans out, in a single layer, onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool.

Make the dressing:

Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients for the dressing to a mixing bowl, and whisk until it is well combined.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Assemble the salad:

Add the goat cheese to a small plate or bowl. Use a fork to gently break apart and create crumbles. It will be slightly sticky.
4 oz soft goat cheese
Add the arugula and spinach to a large platter and gently mix to combine the greens. Layer the thinly sliced red onions, sliced strawberries, diced avocados, toasted pecans, and the crumbled goat cheese.
4 cups baby arugula, 2 cups baby spinach, 1 1/2 cups strawberries, 1/4 cup red onion, 1 medium avocado
Drizzle half of the dressing over the top of the salad, reserving the other half as needed to refresh the salad as it’s being served. Gently toss and serve.

How to store:

I wouldn’t recommend storing this salad if it’s dressed. It would turn into a wilted mess. If the salad hasn’t been dressed, I would store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 1-2 days. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5-7 days.

Notes

Honey - I say 1-2 tablespoons, depending on how ripe your strawberries are. My strawberries were perfectly ripe, so they were very sweet. One tablespoon was perfect. If I were using strawberries that were not in season or not quite ripe enough, I would add 2 tablespoons of honey.

Goat Cheese - I prefer the soft Chèvre Cheese as opposed to the crumbles. The texture is better and tastes much fresher. The pre-crumbled goat cheese also contains an anti-caking agent, which makes the pre-crumbled cheese drier. This is kind of the equivalent to shredding your cheese fresh from the block vs. buying pre-shredded. Either will work, but the results will vary.

Honey - I used raw, unfiltered honey (if using it on the pecans, it won't be raw anymore - this is just the type of honey I have, so I used it). Regular honey works fine for both the toasted pecans and the dressing, but the dressing may be a bit thinner if using regular honey. Refrigerate any leftover dressing. I will note that when the dressing is refrigerated, it will begin to solidify just a bit because of the honey. I left the jar of dressing that I had stored a few days earlier on the counter and allowed it to come to room temperature, gave it a quick whisk, and it was fine!

Nutritional info - based on 1/6 the recipe. If serving as a main course, it's enough for 3-4 people.

Nutrition