Wolfgang Puck Serve this up at a wintry weekend lunch or dinner, and there’s no chance your guests will gaze wistfully out the window. Their attention will be riveted right on the dining table, where it belongs.
How To Make Winter Greens Salad
The combination of mustard vinaigrette, toasted walnuts, orange, and warm goat cheese croutons make this greens salad the best healthy option meal.
Ingredients
WARM GOAT CHEESE CROUTONS AND TOASTED WALNUTS
- ¼ lb fresh creamy goat cheese, cut into 4 equal pieces
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup walnut pieces, shelled
- 4 long French baguette loaf, diagonal slices, each about ¼ inch thick
MUSTARD VINIAGRETTE
- 1 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
SALAD
- 1 seedless orange, thickly peeled with a knife to remove the outer membrane
- ½ lb arugula leaves, rinsed and patted thoroughly dry
- 1 small radicchio, leaves separated, rinsed, and patted thoroughly dry
- 1 small head Belgian endive, leaves separated, rinsed, and patted thoroughly dry
Instructions
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Start marinating the goat cheese several hours ahead or the night before you plan to serve the salad.
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Put the cheese in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and add the thyme leaves, garlic cloves, and some black pepper to taste.
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Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator to marinate.
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Shortly before serving time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
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Spread the walnuts in a small baking dish and toast them in the oven until fragrant and slightly darkened in color for about 3 to 5 minutes then transfer them to a bowl to cool.
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Leave the oven on.
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Remove the bowl of marinated goat cheese from the oven.
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Lightly brush the slices of baguette on both sides with the olive oil from the marinated goat cheese and place them on a baking sheet.
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Set aside briefly.
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Prepare the Mustard Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the Sherry vinegar, mustard, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
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Whisking continuously, slowly pour in the olive oil to form a thick, smooth dressing.
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Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary, with more salt and pepper and even a little more mustard or vinegar.
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Set aside.
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For the salad, use a small, sharp knife to peel the orange thickly.
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Working over a bowl, cut each orange segment free from the membranes on either side of it, letting the segments drop into the bowl.
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Cut each segment into 2 or 3 pieces.
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In a salad bowl, combine the arugula, radicchio, and Belgian endive leaves, tearing them if necessary into bite-sized pieces.
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Add the orange segments.
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Set aside.
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Put the bread slices in the oven and bake until lightly golden for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Remove them from the oven and carefully smear a portion of the marinated goat cheese on top of each slice.
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Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue baking just until the cheese has warmed for about 1 minute more.
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Meanwhile, toss the salad mixture with enough of the dressing to coat the leaves and orange segments lightly.
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To serve, divide the salad among four plates.
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Top each plate, slightly off-center, with a Warm Goat Cheese Crouton.
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Sprinkle the remaining thyme leaves over the goat cheese on each crouton and garnish the salads with toasted walnuts.
Nutrition
- Sugar: 5g
- :
- Calcium: 238mg
- Calories: 789kcal
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
- Fat: 79g
- Fiber: 6g
- Iron: 4mg
- Potassium: 816mg
- Protein: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Sodium: 204mg
- Vitamin A: 4289IU
- Vitamin C: 40mg
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