I don't have pecans on hand, what else can I use?

Walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts will work great here too.

Goat Cheese Salad With Arugula, Apple, and Pecans

Name: Goat Cheese Salad With Arugula, Apple and Pecans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: ⅓ cup (80 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of maple syrup (or honey); the zest of one lemon; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice; ¼ teaspoon of flaky sea salt; ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper; 6 ounces (170 g) of semi-soft goat cheese (I used crottins de chèvre, but any type of semi-soft goat cheese works); 4 slices of sourdough bread, about ½-inch (1 cm) thick; 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (optional); 3.5 ounces – about 2 cups (100 g) of lettuce (red leaf lettuce, butterhead lettuce, or romaine lettuce), washed and spinned; 4 cups (80 g) of arugula, washed and spinned; 2 medium apples (Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or any variety of your liking); ½ cup (65 g) of raw pecans; ½ cup (100 g) of fresh blueberries, rinsed

Ingredients

Scale

For the lemon-maple vinaigrette

⅓ cup (80 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) of maple syrup (or honey)

the zest of one lemon

2 tablespoons (30 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon of flaky sea salt

¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper

For the goat cheese salad

6 ounces (170 g) of semi-soft goat cheese (I used crottins de chèvre, but any type of semi-soft goat cheese works)

4 slices of sourdough bread, about ½-inch (1 cm) thick

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (optional)

3.5 ounces – about 2 cups (100 g) of lettuce (red leaf lettuce, butterhead lettuce, or romaine lettuce), washed and spinned

4 cups (80 g) of arugula, washed and spinned

2 medium apples (Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or any variety of your liking)

½ cup (65 g) of raw pecans

½ cup (100 g) of fresh blueberries, rinsed

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Instructions

Start by making the lemon-maple vinaigrette.

In a jam jar or bowl, combine extra-virgin olive oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Shake to emulsify (or stir dynamically with a small whisk or a spoon if using a bowl).
The vinaigrette is ready. Set aside.

Prepare the goat cheese toats.

Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Slice the sourdough bread into four ½-inch (1 cm) slices. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Generously line the sourdough sliced with 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick pieces of goat cheese. Sprinkle with optional dried rosemary.
On the same sheet pan, line the raw pecans to toast alongside the goat cheese toasts.
Place it in the oven to bake. After 5 minutes, remove the pecans from the tray and bake the toasts for another 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, assemble the salad.

Cut the apples thinly into ⅛-inch (3 mm) slices (see pictures above in this post).
In a large serving dish or bowl, combine the lettuce leaves and arugula.
Add the sliced apples, toasted pecans, and blueberries.
Drizzle with the lemon-maple vinaigrette.
Top with warm goat cheese toasts and serve immediately with a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy!

NIM KEYS

The proportions of this recipe are for a starter for four people. For a light lunch or dinner, I recommend doubling the goat cheese toast proportions and serving two toasts per person.
When assembling this salad, you can either use whole leaves of lettuce, or tear them apart if you prefer.
Substitution tip: goat cheese can easily be swapped with Brie cheese!

Author: Ninon Michels
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: Starter
Method: Oven-Baked
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: goat cheese salad, warm goat cheese, goat cheese on toast, French goat cheese salad