Pistachio Crusted Warm Goat Cheese Salad

This salad will transport you to a small French cafe with just one bite. The warm goat cheese with the crispy crust, the bright lettuce and the lemony dressing - it’s “un rêve” 💫💫 You can prep everything in advance and only need to spend about 6 minutes to get this on plates when you are ready to sit down for your first course. But the real super star of this recipe is the dressing- it will be hard to make any other vinaigrette after having this one 💫

Serves 6

Vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup crushed pistachios
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
Zest of one lemon
Pinch of salt and pepper
12 half inch slices of goat cheese (for ease, freeze 20 minutes before slicing)
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy
Olive oil
8 oz mixed salad greens
1/3 cup pistachios

To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Whisk together and then very slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper.

For the goat cheese, mix breadcrumbs, pistachios, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and parsley into a shallow bowl. Dip each piece of goat cheese into the egg whites and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, but can be prepped up to a day before hand and stored covered in the refrigerator.

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot and starts to shimmer add the cheese round and cook until golden and crisp, about three minutes per side.

Toss salad greens with vinaigrette. Distribute among six plates. Top each with two goat cheese medallions and a Tablespoon of pistachios.