My husband and I recently took a trip to Europe and it’s safe to say we ate some of the best food we have ever eaten in our lives there! I was amazed by some of their flavor combinations. Every salad had some source of cheese on it (YUM) and used a delicate and simple salad dressing.
When I got home, my main goal was to try to recreate my grilled goats cheese salad that I had gotten in in Monaco. I wanted to use a hearty base such as kale which can absorb so many lovely flavors when massaged and marinated. I went with Natures Green’s Organic Tuscan Kale because its easy to prepare, it has been triple washed, they are filled with vitamins! Next, I was inspired to add some roasted vegetables to bring forth that comforting sweet flavor that most winter dishes have. Lastly, I had to replicate the warm goat cheese as it is such an interesting and delicious flavor. Those pieces of warm goat cheese add so much depth and excitement to this salad.
This dish makes a fantastic holiday side dish to a Friendsgiving, thanksgiving, holiday party, Christmas dinner or even a great meal prep during this time of year. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as my family did. Please share any variations of this recipe that you make to Instagram & tag myself, @recipes4health and @naturesgreens! We cant wait to see what you all come up with.
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 65 minutes
Total TIme: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Base:
1 5oz bag of Nature’s Greens Organic Tuscan Kale
8 carrots, washed and peeled
4 red beets, washed
4 figs, sliced
3 oz of goats cheese
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1 1/4 teaspoon avocado oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wrap the uncooked beets in foil, place them on a sheet pan and roast for about 60 minutes until the beets are cooked through (Alternatively you may use pre-cooked beets).
Place the carrots on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, toss with 1/4 teaspoon of avocado oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes.
Prep your kale, remove the stem (you can freeze the stems to add into your smoothies at a later time). Chop the kale into small pieces. Set aside in a bowl while you prepare the dressing.
Add all of the dressing ingredients into a mason jar and shake well until combined. Pour about 1/2 of the dressing onto the kale and thoroughly massage with your fingers to get into all of the leaves. Set your massaged kale aside to marinate while the rest of the ingredients come together.
Slice the goats cheese into 1 tablespoon size rounds and place them flat on a plate with plastic wrap. Place them in the fridge to firm for about 20-30 minutes.
When you are ready to grill the cheese, add 1 teaspoon of avocado into a non-stick pan on high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in your goats cheese rounds and cook for about 60 seconds to 90 seconds on each side until a slight caramelization occurs. You can keep these in the pan until you are ready to plate.
Serve the massaged kale with roasted carrots, roasted sliced beets, warmed goat cheese, pomegranate, walnuts and dressing on top.
This post is sponsored by Nature’s Greens®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
