Mixed Green Salad with Goat Cheese Croutons

🧂 Ingredients

• 8 oz Goat Cheese Log

  room temperature
• 2 Large Egg Whites

  lightly beaten
• 1/2 c Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 c Vegetable or Coconut Oil
• 4 c Mixed Greens
• 3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 T Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

  to taste
• 4 Whole Strawberries

  optional as garnish

Instructions

• 1 To prepare the croutons, divide goat cheese into four 2-oz. portions.
• 2 Lightly pound each 2-oz piece of goat cheese between 2 sheets of wax paper with
  a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are about ½” thick.
• 3 Place goat cheese rounds in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until firm.
• 4 Create a “breading station” by adding whisked egg white to a shallow dish and
  the Panko breadcrumbs to another.
• 5 Remove the goat cheese rounds from the freezer and dip, one at a time, into the
  egg whites until coated on both sides before pressing into the Panko
  breadcrumbs. Press firmly to ensure each goat cheese round is thoroughly coated
  with breadcrumbs on both sides. Transfer the coated goat cheese rounds back to
  the wax paper and set aside.
• 6 In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it starts to
  shimmer. Carefully add each coated goat cheese round, one at a time, to the
  skillet with a slotted spatula and cook until the first side becomes golden
  brown, approximately 30 seconds to one minute. Flip and repeat until the other
  side is equally browned.
• 7 Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.
• 8 Divide salad greens among four serving dishes or bowls and drizzle with the
  olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper, to
  taste. Top each salad with a warm goat cheese crouton right before serving.
• 9 Optional: With the hulls intact, slice each whole strawberry into several
  equal-sized segments, starting from the bottom and carefully working toward the
  green part. Don’t cut all the way through the strawberry. Gently spread the
  individual segments into a fan shape and add on top of your goat cheese crouton.

Nutrition Info