Mesclun Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

By cprzybyl

Ingredients

• 2 heaping cups 1" cubes sourdough bread
• 3 ⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 ⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 12 lightly packed cups mesclun greens
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 ⁄2 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 oz. goat cheese, chilled

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350. Toss bread cubes with 1 tbsp. of the oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown, 1214 minutes. Let cool.

2. Roughly chop garlic; sprinkle with a little salt. Using the side of a knife, scrape garlic into a paste; transfer to a bowl. Add vinegar and mustard; whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in remaining oil while whisking constantly to form a smooth vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Combine croutons, mesclun, cranberries, pecans, and thyme in a bowl. Add some of the dressing; toss well to combine. (Reserve remaining dressing for another use.) Crumble goat cheese over salad and divide between plates.