According to archaeologists, cheese began to be made back in the Neolithic period, when they discovered the ability of milk to curdle at warm temperatures. In Ancient Greece, cheese-making was already a common practice; in Homer’s Odyssey, you can read in detail how the Cyclops Polyphemus made cheese. The ancient Romans were also skilled in this matter, and they especially valued moon cheese. Roman lovers, describing the beauty of the lady of their heart, compared her with this particular variety.
Nowadays cheese is a popular product in all countries; many dishes and snacks are prepared from it. We offer you recipes for salads with cheese that will decorate the table and delight your loved ones!
Salad with hard cheese and baked pumpkin
From a botanical point of view, pumpkin is a berry and the largest one at that. In the world, not only yellow, orange, and green fruits are grown, but also white and black, spotted and striped. Baked pumpkin goes amazingly with any hard cheese. Especially if you take varieties with sweet pulp. They will emphasize the salty taste of the dairy product. Any type of butternut squash will work, as will butternut, smile, and marbled varieties. And if you add arugula to the dish, the sweet and salty duet will be complemented by a spicy bitterness.
Ingredients:
- pumpkin – 300 g
- hard cheese – 150 g
- spinach – 50 g
- arugula – 50 g
- olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- sesame – 1 tbsp. l.
- salt – to taste
- ground black pepper – to taste
Cooking method:
- Cut the pumpkin into pieces, add 1 tbsp. l. olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 180–200°C.
- Chop the cheese into thin slices.
- Place washed and dried spinach and arugula leaves on a plate, place pieces of pumpkin and cheese on top, pour olive oil, salt, pepper, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Serve hot or cold.
Salad with goat cheese, beets and chickpeas
An equally tasty salad is made with goat cheese, rich in lactic acid bacteria. In addition, this cheese is instantly digestible and does not cause allergies. Let’s try to make a salad with vegetables and goat’s milk cheese, adding amino acid-rich chickpeas, beets, and spinach. It is better to take small root vegetables; the amount of chickpeas is indicated in dry form.
Ingredients:
- beets – 2 pcs.
- soft goat cheese – 100 g
- chickpeas – 50 g
- spinach – 50 g
For refueling:
- olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- garlic – 2 cloves
- dry Provençal herbs – 1 tsp.
- salt – to taste
- black pepper – to taste
Cooking method:
- Pour cold water over the chickpeas and leave for 8-12 hours, and then cook them for an hour over medium heat.
- Peel the beets, and grease with 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, wrap in foil, and bake for 30–40 minutes at 180–200°C. Check the fruits for doneness using a knife or wooden skewer. They should fit easily into the soft vegetable.
- Cool the prepared chickpeas and beets, rinse and dry the spinach, and place in a deep bowl
- Cut vegetables and cheese into cubes and add to the already prepared ingredients.
- In a clean bowl, mix olive oil with chopped garlic, Provençal herbs, salt and pepper.
- Mix all ingredients, pour over the aromatic dressing, and serve.
Salad with cheese, fruits, and herbs
The Romans were the first to prepare vegetable salads. And who came up with the idea of mixing fruit with cheese and sweet dressing, history is silent. In any case, thanks to this chef, we now have an original dish that can be served as an appetizer and dessert. Feel free to choose different types of cheese. With soft and brined ones, such as goat cheese or feta cheese, you will get one treat, with hard and semi-hard ones – a completely different one.
Ingredients:
- apples – 1 pc.
- cheese – 60 g
- red grapes – 50 g
- salad mixture – 50 g
- walnuts – 30 g
For refueling:
- honey – 1 tbsp. l.
- orange juice – 1 tbsp. l.
Cooking method:
- Chop the apple into cubes, divide the grapes into halves, and remove the seeds from each. Mix the cuttings in a deep plate.
- Slice the cheese in the same way as the apple. Transfer to fruit.
- Rinse the salad mixture, remove excess liquid, and add to the prepared ingredients.
- Sprinkle with chopped nuts, drizzle with honey and orange juice mixture, and serve.
Salad with mozzarella, tomatoes and peach
There is a legend that this cheese was discovered by accident. Someone accidentally dropped a curd into boiling water and discovered that it began to stretch perfectly. However, the invention of mozzarella is also attributed to medieval monks from Capua.
Mozzarella is rich in bacteria that are beneficial for the intestines. We offer an original salad with it. It is based on a recipe for the Italian appetizer caprese. The classic combination of mozzarella and tomatoes is complemented here with sweet peach slices.
Ingredients:
- mozzarella – 150 g
- peaches – 2 pcs.
- Cherry tomatoes – 8 pcs.
For refueling:
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
- lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.
- thyme – 3 sprigs
- salt – to taste
- mixture of peppers – to taste
Cooking method:
- Divide the peaches into large slices and cherry tomatoes into halves.
- Mix the slices with mozzarella. It is enough to cut small balls into two parts, one large head into pieces similar in size to cherry tomatoes.
- In a clean bowl, combine olive oil with lemon juice, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper mixture.
- Dress the salad and serve.
Cobb salad with blue cheese
Delicacies with green and blue mold are produced using a special technology. Young cheese heads are pierced with a knitting needle on which spores have been applied. As they ripen, the fungi grow and decorate each piece with a unique pattern. Roquefort and other blue cheeses pair amazingly with meat, eggs, and avocado.
Ingredients:
- avocado – 1 pc.
- blue cheese – 100 g
- bacon – 100 g
- chicken breast – 100 g
- tomatoes – 1 pc.
- onions – 0.5 pcs.
- chicken eggs – 1 pc.
- lettuce – 50 g
- green onions – 5 feathers
For refueling:
- olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.
- Dijon mustard – 1 tsp.
- salt – to taste
- ground black pepper – to taste
Cooking method:
- Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan. Place the finished pieces on a paper towel.
- Boil the chicken breast, lightly fry it in rendered fat, and cut into cubes. If desired, some of the fat can be drained off before frying.
- Chop the avocado, onion, tomato, and boiled egg, chop the green onions, and chop the lettuce leaves with your hands. Don’t mix cuts.
- Arrange all the prepared ingredients so that each component has its own place on the plate.
- In a clean bowl, combine olive oil with balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. Add salt and pepper.
- Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.
Fried halloumi with grilled vegetables
Halloumi is a pickled cheese from the coast of Cyprus, dense and salty. It doesn’t melt, making it ideal for frying. In the warm season, cook it directly on the coals, and in bad weather, brown it in a grill pan. By the way, the right cheese should squeak on your teeth.
Don’t despair if you can’t find halloumi. Take suluguni or Adyghe cheese instead. The result will be a little different, but still a tasty treat.
Ingredients:
- halloumi cheese – 150 g
- bell pepper – 1 pc.
- red onion – 1 pc.
- Cherry tomatoes – 6 pcs.
- basil – 5 sprigs
- dill – 5 sprigs
- mint – 3 sprigs
- lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.
For refueling:
- lemons – 0.5 pcs.
- olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.
- soy sauce – 1 tsp.
Cooking method:
- Chop the red onion into thin feathers. Pour lemon juice over the slices and add 100 ml of ice water.
- Divide the bell pepper into quarters, and remove seeds and membranes. Cut the halloumi into large rectangles 0.5 cm thick.
- Brown the peppers and cheese on a rack or grill pan.
- Carefully cut the roasted pepper into strips 1 cm thick. Place in a deep bowl.
- Add cherry halves, lightly squeezed red onion, chopped basil, dill and mint. Place cheese on top.
- Remove the zest from half a lemon, squeeze out the juice, and mix everything in a clean bowl. Add olive oil and soy sauce.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.
Salad with feta, boiled potatoes and olives
Feta cheese comes from Ancient Greece and is made from dried and chopped salted cottage cheese. Sometimes it is kept in brine for more than three months to deepen the flavor.
When it comes to feta, many people immediately think of Greek salad. However, we suggest combining cheese with potatoes, eggs, green olives, and tomatoes. There is no need to add salt to the salad – feta and olives are enough to enjoy this Mediterranean appetizer!
Ingredients:
- potatoes – 500 g
- tomatoes – 1 pc.
- feta – 100 g
- chicken eggs – 1 pc.
- green olives – 30 g
- green onions – 3 feathers
For refueling:
- lemons – 1 pc.
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
- mustard seeds – 1 tsp.
Cooking method:
- Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel, and chop them into cubes. Chop the feta and tomato in the same way, and cut the olives in half.
- Mix ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle with chopped green onions.
- In a clean bowl, whisk lemon juice with olive oil and mustard seeds.
- Drizzle with the zesty dressing, garnish with boiled egg quarters, and serve.
Cheese and radish salad with simple dressing
Take a closer look at this recipe for salad with cheese. It is incredibly light, healthy, and satisfying. This cheese is a real storehouse of calcium and other trace elements. It is distinguished from feta by both the method of preparation and the set of nutrients. Feta is most often salted dry, and brine is used as desired. Bryndza is always immersed in liquid. The fat content of feta is quite high – 45–60%. Cheese cheese is a little lighter; its fat content is rarely higher than 40–45%.
Radishes are the main storehouse of vitamin C. The vegetable has been valued since ancient times. Moreover, some modern Mexicans still sing odes to this root vegetable and organize a radish night before the New Year. And we can arrange breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with this healthy vegetable.
Ingredients:
- feta cheese – 100 g
- fresh cucumbers – 1 pc.
- radishes – 100 g
- salad mix – 50 g
- green onions – 3 feathers
For refueling:
- feta cheese – 100 g
- fresh cucumbers – 1 pc.
- radishes – 100 g
- salad mix – 50 g
- green onions – 3 feathers
For refueling:
- vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.
- balsamic vinegar – 0.5 tsp.
- black pepper – to taste
Cooking method:
- Cut the cheese into cubes, and if it is very soft, crumble it into pieces.
- Cut the radish and cucumber into thin slices, and finely chop the green onion.
- Mix the ingredients in a bowl, including mixed salad, and season with any vegetable oil mixed with balsamic vinegar and black pepper.
Salad with Camembert, pickled cherry tomatoes and grapes
And there are some legends here. It is believed that the first Camembert was prepared by a Norman peasant woman, Marie Harel, in 1791. The recipe was revealed to her by a monk whom she saved from persecution during the French Revolution. A monument was even erected in honor of the girl in the city of Vimoutier.
The taste and texture of Camembert depends on its aging. The young cheese has an almost creamy core and a pleasant sweetish taste. The mature head already holds its shape well and has piquant notes. Cheese of any age is suitable for the salad.
Ingredients:
- Camembert – 150 g
- Cherry tomatoes – 8 pcs.
- black grapes – 50 g
- spinach – 50 g
- walnuts – 30 g
- fennel seeds – 2 pinches
For the marinade:
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
- apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp. l.
- garlic – 2 cloves
- sugar – 1 tsp.
Cooking method:
- Cut the grapes and cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a deep bowl.
- Add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic to the cuts. Leave for 10–15 minutes.
- Drain the marinade into a clean container; you can strain it if desired.
- Heat the pan; no need to grease the bottom with oil. Roast the fennel seeds until fragrant.
- Add the pickled cherry and grape halves and simmer slightly.
- Assemble the salad: cover the bottom of the dish with washed spinach, then place cherry tomatoes and grapes, and pieces of camembert on top.
- Pour the reserved marinade over the dish; if desired, you can also add a mixture of pan juices.
- Sprinkle with chopped nuts and serve.
Salad with ham and two types of cheese
One head it’s good, but two are better. Even if we are talking about cheese heads. For this recipe, you should choose semi-hard varieties. It is much more convenient to cut them into thin strips, and they will not get lost against the background of mayonnaise. Let the cheeses differ in color and taste. For example, you can mix Maasdam with Russian cheese. The first will give a slight sweetness, the second – a slight sourness. We suggest combining cheddar and edam.
Ingredients:
- cheddar – 100 g
- edam – 100 g
- ham – 100 g
- lettuce – 50 g
- chicken eggs – 1 pc.
- mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.
- crackers – 20 g
Cooking method:
- Dry clean lettuce leaves with a paper towel and tear them with your hands. Place in a deep bowl.
- Cut two types of cheese and ham into equal strips 0.3–0.5 cm thick. Transfer the slices to the greens.
- Season the salad with mayonnaise or carefully place the dressing on the edge of the dish.
- Garnish with a boiled egg, cut into circles, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and serve.
- Salads with cheese are a real storehouse of inspiration and exquisite taste, especially if you show your imagination in the kitchen and add something of your own to the ready-made recipes. Share your finds!