To recreate this at home, focus on using high-quality ingredients, and you’ll quickly understand why the French adore this salad so much.

What is a French Warm Goat Cheese Salad?

If you are a goat cheese lover like me, you’re in for a treat! Whenever I want a quick, satisfying lunch in the Spring or Summer and have some bread on hand, this is one of my go-to choices.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Salade de Chèvre Chaud) is a beloved classic found in French bistros across the country. This elegant salad features a bed of crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, salty lardons, and crunchy walnuts—all crowned by the pièce de résistance: warm, melty goat cheese toasts.

Some modern variations of this salad involve breading and frying the goat cheese. But the traditional and most widely served version keeps it simple with the cheese gently warmed atop slices of toasted bread. And this is my favourite version as well!

This salad is what we call in France, a salade composée—a French salad that is not tossed but carefully arranged on each plate for an elegant presentation. Unlike basic side salads, salades composées in France are designed to be satisfying – balancing proteins, carbs and fresh vegetables for a complete meal.

Interested in more Salades Composées recipes? Try my Classic Parisian Salad (Salade Parisienne), my Niçoise Salad and my Frisée Salad with bacon, eggs and croutons (Salade Lyonnaise).

Ingredients you’ll need for a Warm Goat Cheese Salad

With simple ingredients, this is a great recipe to make at home to help bring a taste of France! Here is a run down of the ingredients you will need.

• Goat cheese. Choose a ripened goat cheese log or wheel, with a rind and a creamy center. Read more about the right goat cheese to pick in the chapter below.
• Fresh country bread or baguette. To make the goat cheese toasts, you need 6 slices of fresh crusty white bread. Country bread or baguette are traditionally used in France.
• Lardons or bacon. In France, we use “lardons” for this salad: thick, smoked bacon sliced into matchsticks. They are readily available in packages in all grocery stores. To make your own outside of France, cut bacon strips into ¼” (0.65cm) thick sticks
• Walnuts. A handful of toasted walnuts to add some crunch.
• Tomato. One large ripe tomato cut in wedges.
• Lettuce. Traditionally, we use Lettuce for this salad: Red Oak, Batavia, Romaine or Frisée are all great options here. I don’t recommend using Iceberg lettuce which is too crisp.
• Parsley. The plates are sprinkled with some fresh parsley at the end for color and freshness.
• French vinaigrette. This salad is dressed with a classic French vinaigrette. See this post for a complete run-down of how to make your own French vinaigrette.

Preparing the toasts with ripened goat cheese and fresh country bread.

Choosing the right goat cheese

Goat cheese takes center stage in this salad, so it’s worth investing in a high-quality one. But not just any good goat cheese! Let’s take a moment to see together which variety is best and why it makes all the difference.  

• Which goat cheese is best for a goat cheese salad?

For a classic French Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Salade de Chèvre Chaud), the best goat cheese to use is a ripened goat cheese, with a rind and a creamy center. It tastes more robust than fresh goat cheese and its creamy center melts beautifully while the outer rind keeps it from oozing out everywhere. Key!

Ripened goat cheeses are usually sold as logs that you can slice in large coins, or as “crottins” (small cylindrical shapes) that can be halved lengthwise. Both shapes are great for melting on toasts. I find that 60g of goat cheese (divided in 3 x 20g slices) is a good portion per person.

If you can only find a large wheel of goat cheese to slice in wedges, no problem. Just watch the toasts more carefully as they bake, so the creamy inside doesn’t ooze out too much.

• Where to shop for ripened goat cheese?

To buy the best quality ripened goat cheeses, I recommend going to a specialty cheese shop that offers artisanal and sometimes imported cheeses. This is where you find the best varieties!

Some French goat cheese names to look for:  

• Selles-sur-Cher: A goat cheese from Val de Loire which melts beautifully. Perfect for toasts!
• Crottin de Chavignol: One of most imported French goat cheeses with delicious nutty notes.
• Picodon: A stronger-flavored goat cheese from the South of France.
• Chabichou: A firmer goat cheese produced in Poitou, in western France.
• Pélardon: A small, delicate cheese from the Languedoc region, with a rich, tangy taste.

Also, most goat cheeses imported from France carry an AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) seal, ensuring their authentic origin and exceptional quality. So even if you can’t find one of the 5 names above, try to get one with an AOP seal.

That said, most supermarkets in the US, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, now carry a good selection of ripened goat cheeses, which are a touch more affordable. Look for some good-rated options like Bonne Bouche and Bijou crotins from Vermont Creamery and  Humboltd Fog from Cypress Grove.

• Can I use fresh goat cheese instead?

I know unpasteurized, ripened goat cheeses can be difficult to find outside of France. So as a substitute, yes, you can more easily find a soft, unripened goat cheese – labelled as “fresh” goat cheese. This one doesn’t have a rind nor a creamy inside, and has a more neutral taste.

Although not traditional, fresh logs work fine too here! You can easily spread a slice on the bread and grill it in the oven. The texture won’t get as melty as with ripened goat cheese, but it still tastes delicious.

Some brands I recommend in the US are Laura Chenel and Montchevre.

More Frequently Asked Questions

• Can this salad be prepared ahead of time?

Yes, absolutely, this is a great salad to prepare ahead. You can assemble the salad components onto the plates up to 2 hours before serving. Bake the goat cheese toasts, dress with vinaigrette and season to taste just before serving.

• What to serve this Warm Goat Cheese Salad with?

This salad is a whole balanced dish in itself, so it is meant to be served as a main. For starter, you can serve some French-style Deviled Eggs (Oeufs Mimosa) or a Cream of Cauliflower Soup. And for dessert, why not indulge in a Classic French Chocolate Mousse or a Classic French Strawberry Tart.

Notes & Substitutions

• Before popping the goat cheese toasts into the oven, I like to drizzle them with olive oil. Feel free to get creative—try pine nut oil, hazelnut oil, balsamic vinegar, or even a touch of honey for extra flavor!
• Instead of tomato wedges, you can use 6–8 cherry tomatoes per plate for a slightly sweeter bite.
• Once you’ve tried this warm goat cheese salad, don’t hesitate to switch things up! Blue cheese or brie make fantastic alternatives—just as delicious in their own way. Or why not make three toasts, each with a different cheese?

I hope you’ll enjoy this Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Salade de Chèvre Chaud) as much as I do! And if you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

French Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Salade de Chèvre Chaud)

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 11 Minutes 11 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

5oz (120g) ripened goat cheese, cut in 6 x 20g slices
6 slices country bread or baguette
1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3.5oz (100g) lardons or bacon strips, cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup (40g) walnuts, roughly chopped
1 large tomato
1/2 medium sized lettuce (Batavia, Romaine or Frisée)
1 tbsp fresh parsley
¼ cup French vinaigrette, for serving.

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a frying pan, fry the lardons (or bacon strips, cut into matchsticks) for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set the lardons aside, without washing the pan. Add the chopped walnuts to the pan and warm them for 2 minutes until they smell toasty. Set aside.
3. Cut the tomato into wedges. Wash and dry the salad, plucking the leaves and hand-tearing them into large pieces.
4. Cut the goat cheese into 6 coins and place each onto its own slice of bread. Season with black pepper and top each toast with a drizzle of olive oil. Place toasts onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, finishing with 1 minute under the broiler.
5. Meanwhile, assemble the salad. Divide the salad pieces onto 2 salad plates. Top with equal parts of tomato wedges, cooked lardons and toasted walnuts. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and about 2 tablespoons of Vinaigrette on each plate.
6. Top with the goat cheese toasts right out of the oven, serve immediately.

The post French Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Salade de Chèvre Chaud) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

It has a wonderfully creamy texture from the zucchini and goat cheese, while the mint brings a cooling freshness. This is a quick and easy recipe, perfectly suited for summer entertaining or laid-back dinners.

Picking the zucchini

This recipe is great to make do with the abundance of zucchini in the Summer.

For this soup recipe, pick small zucchini that are vibrant green and tender. These features mean the zucchini are perfectly ripe. If you can only get your hands on bigger zucchini, I recommend you take the time to slice them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. The seeds tend to harden as the zucchini ripens, which can give an unpleasant taste and texture once blended.

You do not need to peel the zucchini, simply wash them very well under cold water to clean thoroughly. Then, chopped them roughly into half-rounds. The zucchini is then blended, so no need to focus on chopping it uniformly.

Common Question(s)

I’m not a fan of goat cheese, what can I replace it with?

Although I do love the taste of goat cheese in this soup, I understand some may be reluctant to using it. Goat cheese can be replaced with another milder fresh cheese, such as a plain Boursin or Madame Loïk – both of which can be found in US and Canadian grocery stores nowadays.

Another alternative is to replace the goat cheese with 1 cup (250g) of Greek yogurt or Skyr. This creates a lighter and healthier soup with gentle notes of acidity. 

How to store this Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup?

After making (and enjoying) this soup, if you have any leftover, you can store it in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

• In the refrigerator: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• In the freezer: store it in a (freezer-friendly) airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge.

Cooking notes:

• This recipe requires the use of a food mill, immersion hand blender or regular blender.
• Although this recipe is fairly simple and quick to make, you need to cool the zucchini completely before blending them, which can take up to 1 hour. 
• This recipe serves 4 medium soup bowls or 6 small bowls. It can be easily halved to serve only 2 people or doubled to serve a larger crowd. 

I hope you’ll love this Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup with Goat Cheese as much as I do!  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.

This soup is best enjoyed thoroughly chilled. It is so refreshing thanks to the mint, yet very satisfying with the creaminess of goat cheese. It is a great starter or a side dish. I personally love to serve it for the French “apéro” (pre-dinner drinks and snacks) along with cold drinks and more snack options.

More Summer recipes to make:

• Fresh Tomato Velouté Soup
• Crustless Quiche with Summer Vegetables
• Classic French Stovetop Ratatouille
• French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad
• How to Make French Vinaigrette
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip from Provence
• Classic Vegetable Tian from Provence
• Cucumber Salad with Crème Fraiche
• French-Style Potato Salad

Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup with Goat Cheese

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

2.2 lbs (1.5kg) small zucchini, washed and roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
300g unripened goat cheese
2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ bunch fresh mint, stemmed

Instructions

Step 1 – In a large pot over medium heat, add the roughly chopped zucchini with the salt and 1-inch of water. Place a lid on and steam the zucchini for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat once the zucchini has softened, but not yet broken apart. Let the zucchini cool completely in the pot.

Step 2 – Add 250g of goat cheese, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, black pepper and the mint (reserve a few leaves for garnish). Blend the soup (with a hand blender or in a processor) until smooth. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add some water while you blend (1/4 cup at a time). The soup should remain fairly thick and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper) if needed.

Step 3 – Chill the soup for at least 1 hour in the fridge before serving, to ensure the flavors have melded. For serving, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top with the remaining 50gr of goat cheese (crumbled), a few mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

The post Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup with Goat Cheese appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Notes:

• This Radicchio Orange Pecan Salad recipe is suitable for 4-6 people, served as a side dish – or for 2 people, served as a main. You can easily double or triple the quantities.
• If making this recipe for hosting, I recommend you separately prepare all the components in advance and then assemble and dress the salad with the vinaigrette just before serving.
• If you need instructions on how to supreme an orange, I recommend watching this video: How to Supreme on Orange.
• If you need instructions on how to toast pecans, I recommend watching this video: How to Toast Pecans. 
• Orange Supremes can be substituted with clementine slices.
• Goat cheese can be replaced with crumbled Feta cheese.

Radicchio Orange Pecan Salad

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 0 Minutes 0 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

1/2 radicchio head, leaves peeled and torn in large pieces
3 cups (90g) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 oranges, cut into supremes
60g/2oz unripened goat cheese, crumbled
handful of toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tbsp balsamic or Xeres vinegar
2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Arrange radicchio and spinach leaves on a serving plate. Top off with orange supremes, crumbled goat cheese and chopped pecans. Season with salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl and with a fork, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. If the vinaigrette is too thick for your liking, thin it out with a few drops of water.

Just before serving, drizzle the vinaigrette onto the salad. Enjoy immediately.

The post Radicchio Orange Pecan Salad appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Cooking notes:

• When cooking the zucchini slices, make sure they release most of their moisture in the pan, and eventually end up soft and almost “dry” (no water left at the bottom of the pan). If you don’t take the time to cook them fully, the zucchini will then release their moisture in the baking dish, and the bottom of your crumble will be watery.
• If you don’t like goat cheese, you can substitute with mozzarella or feta (same quantities).
• A 9-inch skillet is the perfect size for this crumble. 

How to store this Zucchini Goat Cheese Crumble? 

After enjoying the crumble, if you have any leftover, you can store it in the refrigerator. 

• In the refrigerator: let the crumble cool to room temperature and store any leftover in an airtight container or well-wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days – not more. Reheat it in the microwave or in the oven (about 10 minutes at 350°F/180°C)
• Unfortunately, this isn’t a freezer-friendly dish. 

I hope you’ll love this Savory Zucchini Goat Cheese Crumble as much as I do! Serve it as a side with grilled meat of fish, or as a light dinner with a green salad on the side. 

If you have any question, feel free to leave a comment! 

You may also like: 

• Fresh Tomato Velouté Soup
• Layered Vegetable Tian from Provence
• Eggplant Tomato Gratin from Provence
• Tarte a la Tomate (Classic French Tomato Mustard Tart)
• Tomates Farcies (Baked Ground Meat-Stuffed Tomatoes) 
• Provence-Style Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs and Herbs (Tomates à la Provençale)

Savory Zucchini Goat Cheese Crumble

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced 
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
4 medium size zucchini, cut in ¼ (0.65cm) inch slices

For the crumble:
½ cup (63g) flour
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped nuts (pecans, walnut or hazelnuts)
1/3 cup (30g) old fashioned rolled oats
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (58g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
60g unripen goat cheese
¼ tbsp thyme

Instructions

Step 1 – In a large frying pan, heat up the extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion and minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the zucchini, and cook, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until the zucchini is soft and most of its moisture has evaporated. Transfer to an oven-safe dish or skillet, set aside.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle.

Step 2 – Make the crumble. In a large bowl, combine the flour, grated parmesan, chopped nuts, rolled oats and black pepper. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible.

Crumble the goat cheese in small pieces and scatter it evenly onto the zucchini. Cover with the crumble mixture. Sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the crumble looks dry and starts to turn golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

The post Savory Zucchini Goat Cheese Crumble appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Quiche – versatile, practical, crowd-pleasing.

If you’re new to quiches, this is how you should look at it: a crisp pie crust encasing a bunch of ingredients, simply bound together by an egg and milk custard. From that point, you can see how versatile a quiche can be. You can always pick different combinations of ingredients to fill it with – ham and cheese (as in the classic Quiche Lorraine), mushrooms in the Fall, leeks in the Winter, asparagus or peas in the Spring, zucchini, tomatoes or spinach in the Summer… Add-ons are always welcome too: fresh herbs, cheeses, ham, bacon and so on. 

Quiches are also practical. You can enjoy them warm, at room temperature or chilled. They play the part for an elegant brunch as well as for a portable lunch. They also freeze very well, and can be quickly reheated in the oven.

Cooking notes:

• Although you can use a store-bought pie crust for convenience, I think making your pie crust from scratch will go a long way. This only requires about 15 minutes of extra time, and guarantees a crisp buttery crust. I also like to know all of the ingredients that are in my pie crust (no additives, no insane amounts of salt, etc.). My pie crust recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch pie crust, plus a little extra if you want to make an individual quiche on the side – or keep it in the freezer for another project (well-wrapped in plastic film).
• The amount of filling in this recipe is just right to fill a low-sided 9-inch tart pan. If you have one on-hand, I recommend you use a pie dish with a removable bottom, which will support the crust when lifting your tart.
• The asparagus are boiled for 4 minutes before being used for the quiche. 4 minutes is enough to lightly cook them but they will remain slightly firm. Do not be tempted to cook them any longer. The asparagus will continue to cook in the quiche when baking and will turn perfectly tender.

I hope you enjoy this Asparagus Goat Cheese Quiche as much as I do! Any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• The Quiche Lorraine 
• Herby Spring Vegetable Jardiniere
• Sweet Pea Ham Quiche 
• Spinach Cheese Quiche 

Asparagus Goat Cheese Quiche

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.9/5

( 7 voted )

Ingredients

Pie Crust:
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup (150g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
5 tbsp (75ml) cold water

Filling:
1 tbsp (14g) butter
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 small bunch (200g) asparagus, stemmed and cut into 1.5-inch (3.8cm) pieces
4 large eggs
3/4 cup (180ml) milk (2% or whole)
¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream (35% m.f.)  
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
¼ tsp cayenne
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
125g soft unripened goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

To make the crust - Mix the flour, salt and butter with your fingers or pulse in a food processor, until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough roughly comes together into a ball; do not overmix. Add a few more splashes of water if you feel the dough is too crumbly/dry. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Grease and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish. Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface and roll it out to a 12-inch (31cm) circle. Transfer the crust to the pie dish. Cut any excess crust that hangs over the edge, and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle.  

To make the filling – 

Step 1 - In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the diced shallot until lightly caramelized, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside.

Step 2 - Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the cut asparagus and boil for 4 minutes until barely cooked. You should be able to poke a fork in them, but they should still feel slightly firm. Drain and set aside.

Step 3 - In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, cayenne, salt, black pepper and parsley. Add the crumbled goat cheese, the shallots and mix to combine.

Step 4 – Scatter the asparagus evenly at the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the batter overtop, making sure the goat cheese crumbs are evenly distributed as well. Do not fill the batter to the rim: the filling will lightly puff up as it bakes.

Bake for 55 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is golden. Transfer onto a cooling rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

The post Asparagus Goat Cheese Quiche appeared first on Pardon Your French.

It is a simple, unfussy side-dish or light dinner, and it’s a wonderfully different way to enjoy beets.  

A dish inspired by the “Betteraves à la Poitevine”

The inspiration for this recipe comes from the “Betteraves à la Poitevine”. This traditional dish hailing from Poitou, in west-central France, is utterly famous in France. It features beet slices cooked in an onion roux and then deglazed in wine vinegar. You’ll often find them accompanying rice, potatoes and meats.

My version of it is a little earthier, with the beets sauteed in a garlic and onion roux, deglazed in both white wine and wine vinegar, and finally completed with chopped kale. I also suggest you enjoy it with a side of crusty bread and goat cheese, which is a perfect pairing with beets.

How to make these Poitou-Style Braised Beets with Kale

The recipe starts by washing, peeling and slicing the beets. You should wear gloves for this step, or your hands will be purple and stained for days.

You then wash, drain and remove the ribs from the kale and chop it coarsely. When in season, you can substitute the kale with fresh spinach, Tuscan kale or even Swiss Chard. Any kind of leafy green will work great in here, and bring a perfect bitterness to this dish.

The recipe continues with building a roux in a large pan (ensure that this pan has a lid you can use with it). Caramelized onions, garlic, flour and butter are cooked until golden. Beet slices are then added and de-glazed in white wine and wine vinegar.

With the lid on, beets are slowly braised in the liquid until tender. For this step, use a pointy knife to test the tenderness of the beets – I’ll let you decide how you like your beets: slightly tender to utterly tender. Finally, the chopped kale is added, and stirred until wilted.

My Cooking tips:

• You can opt for red beets, yellow beets or a mix. Make sure you wear gloves (ie.plastic or latex gloves) when peeling the beets or your hands will be stained for days.
• I love the earthiness and texture of kale in this dish, but you can substitute them for in-season fresh spinach, Tuscan kale or Swiss chard leaves (all ribs removed and leaves chopped).
• For the goat cheese, choose a good Bûcheron if you can or an unripened goat cheese such as this one from Soignon, which is widely available in grocery stores in the US/Canada.

I hope you’ll love these Poitou-Style Braised Beets with Kale. They make for a great side to accompany poultry or pork, or a great dinner on their own served alongside goat cheese with crusty bread.

You may also like:

• French Lentil Soup 
• Provence-Style Tomatoes with breadcrumbs
• Eggplant Toasts with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Poitou-Style Braised Beets with Kale

Print Recipe

Serves: 2-4 people Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 8 voted )

Ingredients

4 large beets (or 5-6 medium)
½ bunch kale
3 tbsp (43g) butter (salted or unsalted)
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and diced
2 tbsp (17g) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
3 tbsp (45ml) dry white wine
1 tbsp (15ml) wine vinegar
1 tbsp (15ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bread and ripened soft goat cheese, for serving

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Step 1 – Prepare the vegetables. Wash, scrub and peel the beets; remove the greens and cut the beets into 1/4-inch thick slices. Wash and drain the kale; remove the ribs and coarsely chop the leaves.

Step 2 – In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is foamy, add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, for about 4-5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, ground black pepper and nutmeg, and cook for 1 minute to make a roux (the flour will turn moist and golden in color).

Step 3 – Add the beets, white wine and vinegar and stir until the flour is fully incorporated into the liquid. Reduce the heat and sauté, flipping the beet slices occasionally until the beets become tender, about 20-25 minutes (with a lid on). If the beets become too dry while cooking, you can add another 2-3 tbsp (45ml) of white wine (or water) if necessary.

Step 4 – When the beet slices are tender enough (you can test the tenderness by inserting a pointy knife), add the chopped kale and cook for about 2-3 minutes (lid off) until the kale is wilted and has absorbed the last of the moisture in the pan. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Step 5 – Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with EVOO. Serve as a side, or enjoy with bread and slices of goat cheese.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appetit! 

The post Poitou-Style Braised Beets with Kale appeared first on Pardon Your French.

A great, delicious recipe to celebrate this late-Summer, plum purple vegetable.

An appetizer, a salad topping or a side dish.

This is a simple and versatile eggplant recipe, that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.  The eggplant cooks up meltingly tender and creamy, absorbing all the flavors from the olive oil and thyme. The sprinkles of goat cheese and walnuts add a great amount of tanginess and crunch.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature as an appetizer, to top off a salad, or as a side dish.

Cooking notes :

• Draining the eggplant. It is important to drain the eggplant slices in a strainer with salt prior to cooking them. This step extracts the excess moisture from the eggplant to prevent it from turning mushy when cooked, and also to cut out some of the bitterness.
• You can substitute goat cheese for feta, or even bits of brie.
• You can substitute the chopped walnuts for pine nuts.

Eggplant Toasts with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Print Recipe

Serves: 14-16 slices Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 12-13 Minutes 12-13 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 15 voted )

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut in 0.5-inch (1.25cm) thick slices
½ tbsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ cup (60ml) Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup (75g) Goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup (40g) chopped walnuts
4-5 fresh thyme sprigs, stemmed

Instructions

Step 1 - Place the eggplant slices in a strainer and toss with ½ tbsp salt. Let drain for 1 hour. After 1 hour, rinse off the eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels.  

Step 2 - Preheat your oven to 400F (200C) with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the eggplant slices until soft and golden, about 3 minutes on each side, working in batches (do not overlap the eggplant slices in the pan).

Step 3 - Arrange the eggplant slices on the baking sheet, in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the goat cheese and chopped walnuts evenly onto the eggplant slices. Top with a sprinkle of fresh thyme. Drizzle some olive oil over everything.

Bake the eggplant slices until golden, about 12-13 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

If you try this Eggplant Toasts with Goat Cheese and Walnuts, let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!

If you like Eggplants, you may also like: 

• Eggplant Caviar Dip 
• Corsican-Style Stuffed Eggplants

The post Eggplant Toasts with Goat Cheese and Walnuts appeared first on Pardon Your French.