• This is the perfect autumnal salad – the fresh greens and root vegetables pair perfectly with the creamy chevin. Serve as the ultimate, heart-warming starter on a cooler evening.

    HOT TIP: Replace the olive oil for the dressing with avocado oil – it’s high in omegas 3, 6 and 9.

    Recipe by Vickie de Beer

    Photograph by Lee Malan 

    Autumn salad with deep-fried chevin recipe

    Autumn salad with deep-fried chevin

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 20 mins

    Ingredients

    • DRESSING

    • 80ml olive or avocado oil
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
    • 5ml (1 tsp) wholegrain mustard
    • 5ml (1 tsp) honey
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • SALAD

    • 20g (2 tbsp) butter
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) honey
    • 8 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
    • 6 – 8 baby carrots, halved
    • 100g walnuts
    • CHEVIN

    • 3 x 100g rolls chevin (goat’s cheese)
    • 40g flour
    • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
    • 125ml (½ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
    • canola oil, for shallow frying
    • TO SERVE

    • a handful of fresh rocket
    • a handful of fresh baby salad leaves (radicchio, Swiss chard)
    • 250ml (1 cup) cooked beetroot, cut into wedges
    • 2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced

    Instructions

    1

    Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

    2

    Heat the butter and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme, carrots and walnuts, and fry until tender but not too soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

    3

    Slice the chevin rolls into 12 pieces. Dip each piece in a little flour, shaking off the excess. Coat with the egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

    4

    Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chevin cubes until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towel.

    5

    Arrange the rocket, salad leaves, beetroot and apple on a serving platter.

    6

    Just before serving, place the fried chevin cubes on top of the salad and serve with the dressing.