Delicious Cheese Toppings for Salad

Written by
Jennifer Meier
Food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer Jennifer Meier specializes in creating healthy and diet-specific recipes.
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Jennifer Meier
Updated 08/19/19
Salad topped with feta cheese

Brett Stevens / Getty Images

The recipes below prove that a little bit of cheese can add a lot of flavor to a salad. Often, cheese adds so much flavor and rich texture that you can skip a heavy dressing.

  • 01 of 05

    Feta Cheese

    Greek salad with feta cheese

    Owen Franken / Getty Images

    The salty flavor of feta means you don't have to add any extra salt to your salad. Often, you don't even need to add dressing—the creamy, moist texture of the cheese is enough.

  • 02 of 05

    Parmigiano-Reggiano

    Arugula salad with parmesan cheese

    Luca Trovato / Getty Images

    This salty, nutty Italian cheese is most often grated over pasta but it's equally delicious grated or shaved over a salad. A delicious substitution for Parmigiano-Reggiano is Grana Padano.

  • 03 of 05

    Blue Cheese

    Pieces of gorgonzola cheese on a chopping board

    Westend61 / Getty Images

    Blue cheese has always been popular in salads, usually in a creamy blue cheese dressing. You can make your own blue cheese dressing, vinaigrette, or just crumble the cheese right over the greens. Salty, sharp blue cheese is balanced beautifully by slightly sweet flavors in a salad: try beets, candied nuts, dried fruit or slivers of apple or pear.

  • 04 of 05

    Cheddar

    Grated cheddar cheese

    Alanna Jurden / Getty Images

    A few chunks or handfuls of grated cheddar can turn a light salad into a filling meal. Sharp cheddar is especially good.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.
  • 05 of 05

    Goat Cheese

    Strawberry & goat cheese salad

    Stephen Outram / Getty Images

    The popularity of goat cheese in salads soared when chefs started garnishing salads with fried rounds of goat cheese. Fried or not, it's still a great cheese for salad, even if simply crumbled on top of greens.