This fig salad is fresh figs, spinach, goat cheese and candied pecans, all tossed together in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. A quick and easy side dish that’s full of flavor.
You can never go wrong with some great fall salad recipes. Some of my favorite options include pear salad, brussels sprout salad, mandarin orange salad, fennel salad, Thanksgiving salad, beet salad and kale salad.
I think that figs may be my absolute favorite fruit. Part of the appeal is that they’re one of the few fruits left that are truly seasonal so it’s a treat when the figs start popping up in the stores. This fig salad is the perfect way to showcase this seasonal delight.
Table of Contents
Fig Salad Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need baby spinach, fresh figs, goat cheese, candied pecans, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and shallot.
How Do You Make Fig Salad?
Place the spinach, figs, goat cheese and candied pecans in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, then toss gently to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- Any variety of fresh figs will work for this recipe. My favorites include black Mission figs, green Kadota figs and striped tiger figs.
- You can find candied pecans in the salad dressing aisle or produce department at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, try making your own candied pecans.
- The salad dressing can be made up to 5 days before you plan to serve it.
- I recommend buying a log of goat cheese and crumbling it yourself. The flavor is so much better than packaged crumbled goat cheese which is often coated in preservatives and anti caking agents.
Quick Tip
Due to the delicate nature of fresh figs, this salad is best when served immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Figs pair well with nuts, as well as soft mild cheeses such as goat cheese, brie or mascarpone. They are great with greens such as argula or spinach, and can even be roasted with chicken for a sweet and savory main course option.
Fresh figs are great in salads, on a charcuterie board, or you can bake them to make roasted figs. Figs can also be cut open and stuffed with cheese, or wrapped in prosciutto to make an easy and elegant appetizer.
If fresh figs are very ripe, they should be refrigerated so that they don’t spoil. You will know when figs are ripe because they get soft. If you have firm, underripe figs, store them at room temperature until they get ripe and soft.
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Flavor Variations
This fig salad is delicious as is, but you can also add other ingredients to customize the flavors of the dish to your tastes.
- Fruit: If figs are out of season, you can use another late summer/early fall fruit such as peaches or pears.
- Nuts: Swap out the candied pecans with candied walnuts, pistachios, sliced almonds or even toasted pine nuts.
- Cheese: Instead of goat cheese, try using feta cheese, blue cheese, burrata or even small cubes of brie.
- Greens: No spinach on hand? Arugula is a great substitute. You can also use a spring mix.
- Add-ins: Try adding some other ingredients to your salad such as dried cranberries, thinly shaved fennel, bacon, pomegranate seeds, or roasted squash.
I’m going to be soaking in fig season for as long as it lasts. Hopefully some day the little fig tree in our yard will produce more than 2 figs at a time so that I can have my own personal stash. In the meantime I’ll keep hunting for them at the store and enjoying them in this salad.
More Great Salad Recipes
Ramen Noodle Salad
16 mins
Pesto Pasta Salad
20 mins
Creamy Cucumber Salad
11 mins
Winter Fruit Salad
10 mins
Tuscan Kale Salad
25 mins
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Fig Salad with Spinach
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups fresh figs quartered
- 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup candied pecans chopped
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons shallot minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the dressing
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine.
For the salad
- Place the spinach, figs, goat cheese and candied pecans in a large bowl.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance.
- You can use any type of fresh figs. My favorite options include black Mission figs, green Kadota figs or striped tiger figs.
What a marvelous combination of flavors and textures in this fig spinach salad. I can’t wait to try it.
This was such a simple salad but was packed with flavor! The figs paired perfectly with the spinach and goat cheese!
I have a huge fig tree and can only make so much chutney or balsamic figs. This recipe gives me a new idea for using those figs.
Wow, this Fig Salad with Spinach is a game-changer! The balance of sweet figs and earthy spinach hit just the right note. Your dressing recipe tied it all together perfectly. Can’t wait to see what you whip up next!
Just picked up from fresh figs from Costco and was looking for fig recipes — this salad looks incredible! Making it for dinner tonight.
This is a wild salad! I love the candied pecans. I skipped the squash and the salad came out great.
This is such a beautiful salad, Sara! I just made a fig salad recently with caramelized oranges and I’ll never go back! LOVE figs in salads!
Adding the flowers was so worth it! Even if the salad tasted terrible. These are honestly the most beautiful pictures I’ve ever seen of a salad. I don’t even like veggies but that salad is calling my name!
What a gorgeous salad! I notice that you left the peel on the squash. Was that for photographic purpose?
Acorn squash peel is thin and edible!
I just can’t get over how incredibly gorgeous this salad is!
This salad looks delcious! I am seeing figs everywhere I go lately and can’t wait to try some in this recipe. We have purple garlic flowers in our backyard and my kids always pick them and bring them inside in little vases and make my house stink like garlic! They are a nice touch on this salad 🙂
Beautiful shots! I bet this tastes just as good as it looks!
This is beyond gorgeous! Love the figs…I need to use those more! Too pretty!
This looks delicious – but really I just want to put a big bowl of it on the table and stare at it! SO pretty!!
seriously, this is the MOST gorgeous salad – and I;m not even a big fig fan, but I would dig right in!!
What a beautiful salad! The flowers made me laugh. The things we’ll do to get a beautiful photo! Lol!
What a gorgeous salad! I love all the colors and those little purple garlic flowers, I will have to give those a try!
I absolutely adore figs! I totally know what you mean about food styling and then it’s not so good to eat! The garlic flowers paid off though. Photos are beautiful!
I love figs and this salad is gorgeous. Can’t wait to make it!
Oh, this looks so yummy and colorful!!