Vegan Goat Cheese Stacked Salad

---

This delicious Vegan Goat Cheese Stacked Salad by Sarah McMinn of The Sweet Life can embellish your dinner table or you can make it for lunch. It is easy to make. Just top the pear with nut cheese, a couple of hazelnuts, a few dried cherries and layer it with small pieces of arugula. Repeat 4 times and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 large pear
• 1 large handful of fresh arugula or mixed greens
• 2-3 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
• 2-3 tbsp dried cherries
  

Macadamia Nut “Goat” Cheese
Makes about 3/4 cup

• 1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked 8-10 hours
• 1 tbsp unpasteurized white miso
• 2-3 tbsp water, as needed
• pinch of salt
• 2-3 tsp lemon juice

Sweet Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 2-3 tbsp raw agave
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Macadamia Nut “Goat” Cheese

1. Drain and rinse the macadamia nuts.
2. In a food processor or powerful blender mix together nuts, miso, salt and water (as needed) until it forms a smooth paste. You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a couple times.
3. Transfer onto a double layer cheesecloth, wrap into a small log, and let cheese to sit out for  12- 36 hours in a warm area of the house; the cheese becomes more tangy and salty as it sits.
4. Remove cheese from cheesecloth and adjust flavors (if necessary) by adding lemon juice and/or salt. Store in the refrigerator.

Sweet Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1. In a blender combine agave, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. With motor running, slowly add olive oil until thick and well combined.
2. Season with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator.

To assemble the salad:

1. Core the pear and slice it into thin slices.
2. Place few leafs of arugula on a plate and cover with a pear slice.
3. Top the pear with a few hazelnut-sized pieces of nut cheese and a couple of dried cherries.
4. Layer with a couple more small pieces of arugula and repeat 4 times.

It will look like this:

arugula
pear
goat cheese & cherries
arugula
pear
goat cheese & cherries
etc….