Honey-Balsamic Roasted Fig Salad

I was in the Seattle area last week visiting with family.  It was so wonderful to have a little break from the hectic summer.  We moved in July.  (Moving is such a nightmare!)  Between that and traveling, I haven’t done as much cooking as I would have liked.  It’s been nice to settle in some more and get back to cooking and baking.  This Honey-Balsamic Roasted Fig Salad was one of my proudest creations.  Truthfully?  I saw some fig salads on Pinterest and it got the creative juices flowing.  I couldn’t pass up a carton of figs at Trader Joe’s.  I resisted for far too long!

Figs are the most beautiful of fruits, I think.  They are kind of seductive, no?  I covered my (homemade) wedding cake with them and it took a rather plain cake up a few levels.  I’ve never really had figs on a salad before.  My husband thought it would be a waste to roast them.  (He was completely wrong.  But I won’t rub it in.)

I thumbed through my beloved Martha Stewart Living 2003 Annual cookbook and found a recipe for roasted figs to go on top of pain perdu.  (Doesn’t that sound amazing!)  But I made it into a salad with, what else?  Goat cheese.  Of course.  I’m so predictable.  I also tossed a few raw walnuts from my friend’s tree on top and some thinly sliced shallots.  What a salad!

The amazing dressing is more of a honey-balsamic caramel.  And I pretty much want to eat that on any and everything now.

Honey-Balsamic Roasted Fig Salad

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Honey and balsamic vinegar add a lot of flavor to roasted figs that are added to an arugula salad with chèvre and walnuts.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 10 fresh whole figs
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• pinch sea salt
• 1–2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a small oven-proof skillet combine honey, water, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until it starts to get syrupy. Remove from heat and add the fresh figs. Spoon some of the liquid over the figs and place the pan in the oven.
2. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until the liquid has thickened a bit (about the viscosity of maple syrup) and the figs have darkened a bit. (You can turn figs over halfway through the roasting time.)
3. Remove from oven. Transfer figs to a small bowl. Whisk the olive oil into the sauce in the pan. Let cool before assembling the salad.
4. To serve:
5. Arrange the arugula on a platter. Top with the roasted figs, cheese, walnuts, and shallots. Drizzle the warm dressing over the top and serve immediately. (There will be some remaining dressing.)
6. Yield: 2 servings
7. Note: The figs would also be really good with roast pork tenderloin.

Notes

Recipe loosely adapted from Martha Stewart Living, 2003.

• Author: Lindsey Johnson
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: American