French Bistro Salad With Warm Goat Cheese Croutes

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Updated on 08/29/21
French Bistro Salad With Warm Goat Cheese Croutes

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
364 Calories
30g Fat
12g Carbs
13g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 364
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 415mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 124mg 10%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 165mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Goat cheese salad is a classic French bistro dish that is easy to make at home. The salad combines fresh, tender lettuce with warmed goat cheese rounds. The cheese is rolled in panko (or breadcrumbs) and then heated to form an outer crunchy layer, creating goat cheese croutes. It's topped off with a mustard vinegarette dressing. The kick from the mustard provides a contrast to the creamy tang of the goat cheese. Feel free to mix fresh herbs such as dill, basil, or chervil in with the lettuce for some bright flavors. 

This recipe includes two different ways to prepare the goat cheese croutes—in the oven or on the stove. Both methods use the same ingredients, and the result will be basically the same. The oven method is more hands-off, while the stove method requires some careful attention as the goat cheese croutes cook in a frying pan.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces goat cheese

  • 1/2 cup panko or bread crumbs

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 6 cups tender lettuces, such as spring mix, butter lettuce, or oak leaf lettuce

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

  • Dash kosher salt

  • Dash freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    French Bistro Salad With Warm Goat Cheese Croutes ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Cut goat cheese into 8 to 10 disks.

    goat cheese on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Add panko or bread crumbs into a shallow bowl.

    breadcrumbs in a bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Press goat cheese disks into panko. Flip disks to make sure both sides are completely covered and roll edges through panko as well.

    goat cheese covered with breadcrumbs in a bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Set coated goat cheese on a baking tray. Place platter in freezer for 15 to 30 minutes. This allows the croutes to set prior to cooking. 

    breadcrumb covered goat cheese on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces, wash and dry lettuce, and set aside while goat cheese sets. If using herbs in addition to lettuce, wash, dry, and prepare them for salad.

    salad in a colander

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and mustard in a large salad bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and add clean lettuce to bowl. 

    Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and mustard in a large salad bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add goat cheese rounds. Cook, without disturbing, until they're brown on one side. Flip and cook until they're brown on the second side. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

    goat cheese in a skillet

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  9. Toss salad gently to coat lettuce thoroughly with dressing. Divide salad between four salad plates. Top each salad with 2 or 3 goat cheese croutes and serve immediately.

    French Bistro Salad With Warm Goat Cheese Croutes

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Recipe Variation For Baked Goat Cheese

To bake the goat cheese rather than fry, pre-heat oven to 375 F.

Mix the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in with the panko breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Then, press the goat cheese disks into the panko. Flip the disks to make sure both sides are completely covered and roll the edges through the panko as well. Set the coated goat cheese on a baking tray. Place the platter in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes. This allows the croutes to set prior to cooking.  Bake the goat cheese croutes until browned, about 15 minutes.