Fig and Arugula Salad with Walnuts
Fig and Arugula Salad with Walnuts
Description
It is fig season in Texas, and here is a very easy salad recipe for hot summer days!
If you would like to prepare a quick and light summer dish for a satisfying meal, this recipe is just for you!
I love fresh arugula, and combining it with figs makes it absolutely delicious. Fig salad with arugula, walnuts, and goat cheese is a perfect salad that combines sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. People love this salad because it is light and refreshing. You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and combine everything just before serving.
This arugula salad with goat cheese and fresh figs can also be an amazing side dish for gamey meats like quail, dark meat such as duck, and salty, cured meats such as prosciutto and rich lamb cutlets.
Ingredients
Preparation
-
Toss arugula, figs, and walnuts together in a large bowl.
-
Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese, red onion slices, and black olives on top.
-
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
-
Alternatively, you can use feta cheese instead, and prepare your favorite salad dressing according to your taste.
Bon Appétit!
Note
Â
Tips to Make Fig and Arugula Salad with Walnuts
- Choose clean, dry figs with thin, unblemished skin for the arugula salad with goat cheese. The skin color of a fig makes little difference to its taste; it can range from the palest green to deep purple. Figs should be soft and yielding when gently squeezed but still hold their shape.
- Always use fresh ingredients.
- You can prepare your salad in advance, but add the dressing just before serving!
Frequently Asked Questions
Figs are perishable and should be refrigerated. The best way to enjoy figs is raw, with the skin and seeds intact. You can also remove the peels and scoop out the seeds, if you prefer, or cook figs by baking, broiling, or grilling them.
Flavors that pair well with figs include nuts, vinegars (such as balsamic and sherry vinegars), honey, cured meats like prosciutto and ham, warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom, herbs such as rosemary and thyme, and dairy, especially cheese. Due to their high sugar content, fresh figs caramelize easily when roasted.
Goat's Cheese: The slight bitterness and extra saltiness of goat's cheese are absolutely perfect with figs. Pecorino Cheese: Absolutely perfect, especially if you add a slice or two of thinly cut prosciutto between the cheese and the figs.
Figs are perishable and should be refrigerated. Fresh figs can last for two to three days when stored at room temperature in a dry place. Figs will keep for up to a week if refrigerated under the right storage conditions, with plenty of room to breathe in the crisper drawer. Frozen figs have a shelf life of up to a year.
There is no one set way for how to eat figs. Enjoy them raw, on a grilled pizza with a honey drizzle, or stuff them with nuts such as almonds, basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, hazelnuts, mint, rosemary, thyme, vanilla, walnuts, or cured meats like prosciutto and ham.
Eating overnight soaked figs on a regular basis can provide numerous health benefits. They can also be eaten directly; however, soaking them in water will offer better health benefits. Pre-soaking helps to break down the soluble fiber content of the figs.
Eating soaked figs in the morning may help alleviate constipation. This is because figs are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which improve bowel movement and promote a healthy digestive system. Additionally, they are beneficial for weight loss, blood sugar control, and maintaining heart and bone health.
