Gorgeous Goat Cheese Salad

Looking for a fresh and flavourful salad to brighten up your day? This vibrant Goat Cheese Salad combines creamy goat cheese, juicy blueberries, and crisp mixed greens, all tossed together in a tangy-sweet dressing that’s sure to tantalize your taste buds.

Speaking of tantalizing your taste buds, this goat cheese salad recipe would be the perfect addition to smoked meats of any kind but would be especially delicious with Smoked Chicken Thighs or even Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken Legs.

Gorgeous Goat Cheese Salad

Salads don’t have to be boring. In fact, it’s incredibly easy to make an interesting and attractive salad that’s full of flavour and texture. First rule of thumb… make it fresh! Starting with an assortment of new baby lettuces and tart blueberries full of vibrant colour and texture.

Second rule, make it tasty. Pickled beets, goat cheese and a honey Dijon vinaigrette really amp up the flavour profile. Finally, make it crunchy. This Goat Cheese Beet Salad is a symphony of crunch from the crisp lettuce to the toasted walnuts with just a little creamy goat cheese thrown in for good measure.

I like to think of this as an ‘in between seasons’ salad. Enjoy it in the spring with the last of the beets and tender spring baby greens or in the fall with sweet baby beets. It’s delicious alongside grilled chicken, pork, and haloumi cheese or as a main dish with added protein.

Of course, this Goat Cheese Salad also makes a great ‘any time’ salad because all the ingredients tend to be available year-round. Serve it for a light lunch or as a refreshing side dish, this salad is not only delicious but also packed with nutrients.

Ingredients for this Recipe

Fewer ingredients are a more delicious combination than goat cheese and beet root. Add in fresh blueberries, a bed of fresh greens and a splash of honey Dijon vinaigrette and you get this incredibly sensational salad.

• Avocado Oil
• Rosé Vinegar
• Honey
• Garlic Powder
• Dijon Mustard
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Mixed Greens
• Pickled Beets
• Blueberries
• Walnuts
• Shallot
• Goat Cheese
• Fresh Mint

Avocado Oil has a mild flavour profile compared to olive oil but if you prefer to use olive oil or any other mild flavoured salad oil, feel free to do so.

Similarly, Rosé Vinegar is milder than white wine or red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and white vinegar but any of these will create a tasty vinaigrette. A simple balsamic vinaigrette would also work well for this salad. 

Feel free to replace the Honey with maple syrup or the liquid sweetener of your choice and use real minced garlic instead of Garlic Powder in the vinaigrette.

Try plain Goat Cheese, herbed goat cheese, or cranberry goat cheese in this salad or for a non goat cheese alternative, try Feta cheese, Cotija cheese, or ricotta cheese. This salad would also be delicious with grilled halloumi, fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini) or burrata.

Mixed greens such as baby butter lettuce, frisée, red and green leaf lettuce, arugula, mesclun, oak leaf, and watercress add flavour as well as enticing visuals.

Other salad ingredient options include apples, pears, dried cranberries, goji berries, avocado slices, steak, shrimp, or cooked chicken for a yummy chicken salad lunch.

How to Make Goat Cheese Salad

As with most salad recipes, this salad is simple to make with a classic French vinaigrette dressing and the salad itself as the only two steps. Some people love this salad with warm goat cheese. However, the cheese will reach full flavour potential if you remove it from the fridge an hour before serving.

Make the Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Place the avocado oil, rosé wine vinegar, honey, garlic powder (or minced garlic), Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small jar (or bowl). Replace the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for a few minutes (or whisk if using a bowl) until the vinaigrette becomes emulsified.

Assemble the Goat Cheese Salad

For maximum flavour, I like to toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat until they become golden brown and fragrant.

To make the salad, place the mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the greens and toss to coat. Finally, add the remaining ingredients and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette, if necessary.

Serve immediately or keep the undressed salad (without the walnuts) in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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