Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Walnuts and Piquillo Peppers

This warm goat cheese salad with walnuts and piquillo peppers is a refreshing Spanish tapas recipe. Creamy cheese rounds sit atop crisp greens, complemented by sweet peppers and toasted walnuts. Balanced, hearty, and colourful, it’s the perfect salad to serve alongside richer tapas dishes or as a lighter main.

Course Main Course

Cuisine European, Mediterranean, Spanish

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword goat cheese, piquillo peppers, spanish salad, Tapas recipe, toasted walnuts

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 7

Servings Servings

Calories 260

Author Spooning & Forking

Ingredients

200 g Goat's Cheese log, sliced into 1.5cm discs
150 g Salad leafs mixed, rocket, lamb’s lettuce, or similar
100 g Piquillo peppers roasted, sliced into strips
50 g Walnuts lightly toasted
2 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp Honey
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper Freshly ground, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the grill or oven to medium-high heat. Place the goat cheese discs on a lined baking tray and warm for 5–7 minutes until just soft but still holding their shape.
Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, sherry vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to make a dressing. Toss the salad leaves lightly in the dressing and arrange on a platter. Scatter over sliced piquillo peppers and walnuts. Gently place the warm goat cheese discs on top and serve immediately.

Notes

Choose a fresh goat cheese log with a rind—it holds its shape better when warmed. Very soft cheeses can melt too quickly and lose definition.

For piquillo peppers, buy them roasted and preserved in jars. They’re sweet, smoky, and instantly lift the salad. If you can’t find them, roasted red peppers are a good substitute, though they lack the same Basque flair.

Nutrition