fig and goat cheese salad

Looking for a salad that has a perfect balance of sweet and savory? Enter this Fig & Goat Cheese Salad. Fresh figs, peppery arugula, candied walnuts, tangy goat cheese, and fresh basil, dressed with a creamy balsamic dressing. Pour yourself a glass of white wine and enjoy!

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It’s fresh fig season! This salad is a great and easy way to use them. The most time-consuming thing is making the dressing and candying the honey walnuts. If you don’t have time to make either, just use a store-bought balsamic dressing and skip candying the walnuts. Although, I HIGHLY recommend taking these extra steps.

To start, we are going to make the candied walnuts and the creamy balsamic dressing.

HOW TO CANDY NUTS

First, let’s candy the walnuts! Candying might sound a little intimidating, but it is so easy. Just make sure to keep an eye on the nuts so they don’t burn and you will be fine. I like to use honey instead of sugar to make it slightly healthier. Plus, I love the flavor of honey with the toasty nuts.

First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. In a bowl combine the walnuts, honey, cinnamon, and salt and stir to coat the walnuts. Pour coated nuts on the lined baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake walnuts for 10-15 minutes, stirring when the honey starts to bubble. Take out when nuts are golden brown and let cool on a baking sheet. Once cooled, break the clumps of nuts apart.

This recipe creates more candied walnuts than you will probably use in the salad, but I always like to make extra just to have around to throw in salads or just to snack on. Plus, they have a pretty long shelf life. If your putting in the effort to make them, might as well make extra, right?

TIPS TO MAKE A SUPER CREAMY DRESSING

While the nuts cool, make the creamy balsamic dressing. I like to use a blender to emulsify the ingredients together. This is what creates a super creamy dressing. You can easily you a jar instead and shake all the ingredients together, but it won’t get as creamy.

To the blender add, garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper and blend. With the blender still running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until super creamy.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

This salad is delicious on its own, but you may be craving more. Maybe you want some protein, more veggies, or more fruit? Here are some additional toppings that would be great on this salad!

For a heartier salad add some additional protein:

• sliced prosciutto
• shredded chicken
• cooked quinoa

Or for some more sweetness add:

• nectarines or peaches (really delicious with the white variety)
• apples
• pears
• blueberries or sliced strawberries
• dried cranberries

Or add some additional veggies:

• mix kale or spinach with the arugula
• cucumbers
• roasted asparagus
• roasted sweet potatoes

The options are really endless with this salad so have fun with the toppings!

If you make my Fig and Goat Cheese Salad, please comment below! Or tag me on Instagram and use #myfoodobsessions. I am obsessed with food photos and I would absolutely love to see what you make!