fig and goat cheese arugula salad with honey balsamic dressing
08. Apr, 2011 
4 Comments
This should really just be retitled “The Best Salad Krista Has Ever Made.” I only meant to make a quick, light salad for lunch to have alongside some freshly made Pita bread. I ended up with a fresh spring salad that was light but satisfying, sweet but not sugary. It’s all about balance– the bitter arugula is balanced with sweet figs, the sharp roasted nuts are complimented with mild goat cheese. Even the dressing is both tart vinegar and candied honey, and the result is phenomenal.
This is why I love the spring. There are certain ingredients like figs that I would never buy at a grocery store even though they’re always there at Whole Foods, but somehow end up in my bag at the farmers market. It’s something about seeing that big crate of figs that came right from the back of a truck, it makes me think of my sister who lived in California and all the different figs she got to eat and warm California beaches and soft sand and summer vacations and OH MY GOD I NEED THOSE FIGS. I’m seriously looking forward to this weekend’s trip to the market and what surprises I’ll come home with.
Spring has kicked into full gear here in D.C. and as a District resident I get to enjoy all the benefits of the Cherry Blossom Festival with none of the hassle. Last weekend, the opening of the festival, was cold and rainy and harsh, and all those poor tourists suffered through the weather for the flowers. On Monday, the visitors left and the sky cleared and I’ve been enjoying a week of 70 degree sun, afternoons quietly reading by the reflecting pool without screaming tourist-babies. I planted the first batch of flowers, fired up the grill, and napped in the sun– oh, spring is definitely here.
I’m submitting the recipe to Friday Potluck @ Ekats kitchen, Food on Fridays, and Hearth and Soul‘s new “Follow Me” blog hop.
Fig and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad
Makes one starter salad. Total time: 7 minutes.
- 1 1/2 cups of arugula
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of goat cheese, crumbled
- 2-3 dried figs
- 1/8 cup pine nuts
- fresh pepper
In a toaster oven, evenly spread pine nuts on the cooking sheet and toast on medium setting. Be careful– they turn from white to black in a blink of an eye, so only lightly toast them to release the flavors.
Slice the figs length-wise in eighths.
Assemble figs, goat cheese and pine nuts on a bed of arugula, drizzle with balsamic dressing (below) and top with a twist of fresh black pepper.
Reduced Balsamic-Honey Dressing
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of honey
In a saucepan, add the vinegar and honey over medium heat, and let it lightly bubble until it is half the amount, about five minutes. Drizzle on the arugula salad and enjoy.
Sounds fantastic–love the explanation of how you balance the flavors. Thanks for the inspiration! I have feta, but not goat cheese. I think I need to swing by the store tonight.
This is definitely a rock-star salad! i love dried figs and they pair perfectly with the goat cheese!
What a fabulous looking salad! I have a mild addiction to goat cheese and love the idea of adding figs and the yummy sounding dressing. I need to try this. Thanks so much for stopping by to see me and leaving your sweet comment. I’ve been looking through your recipes and I have not found one that I didn’t want to try. They are all look amazingly yummy! I’m your newest subscriber. I can’t wait to see what you will show us next. Thanks!
Thanks, Candace!! I’ve been on a goat cheese kick myself, you can definitely expect more.