The Salad Topping That's Crunchy Outside, Creamy Inside, And Ridiculously Good

Sometimes a salad can seem just too plain and green. Sure, you want something nutritious, and it's easy to add in some color and crunch with bell peppers or ensure everything's balanced with a homemade dressing made with the correct ratio. But when you want to go beyond simple veggies, other ingredients may be needed. For perfectly crispy and buttery croutons, stale croissants can be a huge win for your salad or you can use your air fryer for amazing croutons you'll want to make time and again. But for this salad addition, we're going the cheese route. Try some fried, breaded goat cheese for a nice exterior crunch and wonderfully salty, tangy flavor, that still remains soft and creamy on the inside.

Goat cheese is, maybe, underappreciated for its versatility. It can help give pizza a tangy twist or make a luxurious, creamy topping for your next burger. Plus, goat cheese comes in a variety of flavors — just the regular, crumbly, creamy stuff, or anything from chives to herbes de Provence to mushroom, even strawberry jam. So, when it comes to — let's call them goat cheese croutons — you can use exactly what you want to fit the flavor of the salad. And it's all pretty simple to do. You just need your salad, your goat cheese, and a little oil and breadcrumbs.

First of all, you'll need to pick your cheese. A firmer, slightly aged goat cheese is better for frying or baking because it will hold its shape better. Although you can use any flavor variety, particularly when frying, you may want to go with something without too many green ingredients that could burn in the oil. Or, if using something that's heavy on the chives, for example, you may not want to cook it too hot for too long. The quickest way to make these little round cheesy croutons is to slice a small round of cheese from the log, press it into panko breadcrumbs and fry it in hot oil until browned on each side. You can also bake the breaded rounds in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until browned, but they may not get quite as crispy and be a little more gooey (though still delicious).

To ensure the breadcrumbs properly stick to the goat cheese, you can even bread the cheese, then freeze it for a few minutes before frying. They're delicious on a simple salad of frisée with balsamic vinegar and olive oil; with some lettuce, tomatoes, and all the accouterments; or as the main show on a bed of greens. These little fried cheese rounds can even be used as burger toppers or a simple snack on their own. It just takes a little breading and a quick fry (or some time in the oven) for some amazing texture and flavor that you'll want to have time and time again.