You can never go wrong with some great fall salad recipes. Some of my favorite options include pear salad, brussels sprout salad, mandarin orange salad, fennel salad, Thanksgiving salad, beet salad and kale salad. I think that figs may be my absolute favorite fruit. Part of the appeal is that they’re one of the few fruits left that are truly seasonal so it’s a treat when the figs start popping up in the stores. This fig salad is the perfect way to showcase this seasonal delight.
Fig Salad Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need baby spinach, fresh figs, goat cheese, candied pecans, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and shallot.
How Do You Make Fig Salad?
Place the spinach, figs, goat cheese and candied pecans in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, then toss gently to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
Any variety of fresh figs will work for this recipe. My favorites include black Mission figs, green Kadota figs and striped tiger figs. You can find candied pecans in the salad dressing aisle or produce department at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, try making your own candied pecans. The salad dressing can be made up to 5 days before you plan to serve it. I recommend buying a log of goat cheese and crumbling it yourself. The flavor is so much better than packaged crumbled goat cheese which is often coated in preservatives and anti caking agents.
Flavor Variations
This fig salad is delicious as is, but you can also add other ingredients to customize the flavors of the dish to your tastes.
Fruit: If figs are out of season, you can use another late summer/early fall fruit such as peaches or pears. Nuts: Swap out the candied pecans with candied walnuts, pistachios, sliced almonds or even toasted pine nuts. Cheese: Instead of goat cheese, try using feta cheese, blue cheese, burrata or even small cubes of brie. Greens: No spinach on hand? Arugula is a great substitute. You can also use a spring mix. Add-ins: Try adding some other ingredients to your salad such as dried cranberries, thinly shaved fennel, bacon, pomegranate seeds, or roasted squash.
I’m going to be soaking in fig season for as long as it lasts. Hopefully some day the little fig tree in our yard will produce more than 2 figs at a time so that I can have my own personal stash. In the meantime I’ll keep hunting for them at the store and enjoying them in this salad.