Easy Spring Mix Salad – French style
Looking for an easy Spring Mix salad recipe that’s also a bit artful, elevated, and timeless? We suggest a Chèvre Chaud Salade. That is “Warm Goat Cheese” in English, and it’s a classic French salad that features the simplicity of Spring Mix* and classic French vinaigrette, with the decadence of goat cheese and the added nutrition of beets and walnuts. The punchy flavor of Dijon mustard in the vinaigrette is softened by creamy goat cheese and earthy walnuts, while the soft flavor of Spring Mix finds sweetness when paired with soft, cooked beets. All prepared in about just ten minutes and complementing almost any main dish—voila!
*Ok actually, our Spring Mix salad mix isn’t all that simple. At any time, it contains a mix of green leaf lettuce, mizuna, tango, green leaf oak, green chard, arugula, red leaf lettuce, lolla rosa, radicchio, red chard, and/or red oak lettuce.
- Active Time:
- 10 min
- Total TIME:
- 10 min
- SERVINGS:
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 bag Taylor Farms Spring Mix
- 3-4 Pre-cooked Beets
- 6-8 oz. Goat Cheese — basically, as much or as little as you like
- ¾ cup Walnuts
For the Classic French Bistro Vinnaigrette:
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Prepare the dressing. Place all ingredients into a spill-proof container or bowl, and either shake or whisk until oil, vinegar, and mustard are evenly mixed.
- Chop the beets. Either into bite size cubes, or, some people might prefer to simply slice their beets in larger, round medallions.
- Toss the Spring Mix, beets, and walnuts with the vinaigrette.
- Lightly warm the goat cheese in the microwave. Optional: slice the goat cheese into medallions before warming, and then you can easily slide them on top of the salad.
- Top with goat cheese. It’s important to place the goat cheese onto the salad last, instead of into the salad when tossing. That’s because goat cheese is very soft, and its creaminess can mix into the salad instead of holding its shape. So, either sprinkle small pieces or crumbles on top, or place medallions evenly on the surface.
Of all nuts, why walnuts?
Walnuts are said to be good brain food—maybe it’s because they look like a little brain, right? Right, so it must be true.
But it’s also scientifically accepted that walnuts are indeed pretty good for your brain and your body. They’re rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, which supports heart health, reduces inflammation, and may benefit brain function. Speaking of the heart, they might also help lower bad cholesterol and slightly reduce blood pressure. They have lots of antioxidants—including polyphenols and vitamin E, which help combat oxidative stress, which is linked to aging, cancer, and chronic diseases. As for how that helps the brain, polyphenols in walnuts may help reduce age-related cognitive decline and maybe even improve memory and processing speed. They also contain fiber!
That’s all good enough for us, because most of all, they’re just delicious. And the perfect addition to a basic spring mix salad recipe.
And when you want to spruce them up? Walnuts are delicious caramelized or spiced with flavors like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. You’ll be tempted to snack on them, add them to salads, or even enjoy them for dessert!
