Fig and Gorgonzola Citrus Salad Recipe

Fresh fig salad

It’s fig time! With summer being the season for figs, a co-worker recently brought in a heaping bag full of figs from her neighbor’s tree. I never really tried a fig, fresh from a tree. I’ve had figs in yogurt, bars (Fig newtons) and dried, but sadly, never fresh. I had no idea what I had been missing! They are a little homely on the outside, all leathery and dark, but once cut open, the most glorious color emerges, speckled with tiny edible seeds and sweet meat. By far the best surprise this summer. So I decided to make a healthy summer fig salad.

Fresh Brown Turkish figs from the market, sweet and delicious.

I made this salad for my sister, future brother-in-law, and their adorable new baby girl (more on her later). I figured they would appreciate some time out of the house, to cure their cabin fever. The dinner was a success, and the salad, even better. This isn’t the last time I will be making this jeweled beauty.

Ingredients

• 2 cups leafy greens (green leaf lettuce, romaine, spinach, they will all work well in this salad)
• 1/3 cup gorgonzola crumbles
• 4 fresh figs (I used Brown Turkish figs, but whatever you can find will work), cut 1/2 inch rounds, then quartered
• 1/2 cup baby tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup purple cauliflower, cut into tiny trees (I found purple cauliflower so I had to try it, but if you can’t find it, regular white cauliflower works just the same, just not as pretty)

Citrus Champagne Dressing

• 1/4 cup citrus champagne vinegar (I used orange muscat champagne vinegar from Trader Joe’s, but if you can’t find that, then citrus, or regular champagne vinegar will work just fine)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 shallot, sliced

*Toss all ingredients into a food processor or blender until well blended (about 20 seconds will do)

Directions

If you need to toast your pine nuts, then the easiest way to do it is over a stove top (I’ve burned more batches of pine nuts than I can count in the oven and toaster). In a frying pan, over a medium heat and a watchful eye, lightly toast your nuts, giving them a nice stir once in a while. They will toast up quickly, about 5 minutes or so. Now, let them cool, or they will wilt your lettuce. After they are cooled, put all your salad ingredients into a large serving bowl, drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss altogether. Leftover dressing can be stored in a sealed container for one week.

Related: Healthy Recipes, Salad Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes