Fig season is short and sweet, so make the most of it with this fresh fig salad with basil, goat cheese, and pomegranate vinaigrette.
Maybe you too have planned an ENTIRE MEAL PLAN around figs only to get to the store and find you’re a few days too late.
It can be maddening.
Fig season is honestly the most transient, flightiest fruit season of all. More often than not, by the time I even realize it’s happening and decide on a recipe to make, the figs are already gone from the stores and farmer’s markets.
I’ve learned my lesson a few times over and now pretty much always come prepared with back-up meals to make in case I’m too late for the figs.
This year we discovered a little market inside Grand Central that sell GREAT figs. I don’t know if they get them sourced from a farm on a daily basis or what, but they were perfectly ripe and super sweet. I haven’t had figs that good since I picked them off my parents’ fig tree as a kid!
One of the other problems with figs is that once you find them, you have to use them up quickly because they don’t stay good for long.
Of course, you can just eat them as is – simple and satisfying.
But this fresh fig salad is another GREAT option! It takes mere minutes to throw together and uses simple ingredients to make something really special. Figs are paired with basil, arugula, goat cheese crumbles and a sweet-tart pomegranate vinaigrette. The tang of the dressing brings out the sweetness of the figs and basil, while the creamy goat cheese ties it all together.
Hopefully this post is in time so that you can still get your hands on some. If not, plum slices (maybe with some dried figs thrown in for good measure) would be a reasonable substitution.
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 tsp pomegranate molasses
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 5 oz arugula
- ¾ cup basil leaves
- 8 ripe figs, room temperature
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- In a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, mustard, and pomegranate molasses. Add some salt and black pepper to season and then whisk in the olive oil.
- Add the arugula and basil to the bowl and toss to combine. Divide among serving plates.
- Quarter the figs and arrange over the salad. Top with goat cheese crumbles and serve immediately.
Beautiful an delicious. YUM!
Plus it’s a salad, and you know i’m all about salads lately!