Harvest Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing

Happy Fresh Fig Friday!!

Can I make Fresh Fig Friday a thing? It’s just that I have been obsessed with figs lately. Anyone else enjoy this precious fruit? My Nonno and Nonna eat figs like they eat candy, and have been stuffing them in my face since I can remember. Every meal they make involves fruit after the main dishes and throughout late summer/early fall, the star of the show is always figs.

Let me explain why I’ve become obsessed with figs lately. Number one, figs have this gooey sweetness on the inside with a soft exterior that makes biting into each one delightful. Number two, they are a very pretty fruit and the colors make for a gorgeous topping. Third, the seeds on the inside add such a nice texture and subtle bite. How are my food descriptors, Food Network?

And because I believe adding fruit to a salad is always the right choice to make, can you guess what fruit I added to a harvest salad I put together? All the figs!! I even put figs in the dressing. This salad is nice and fresh, but comforting at the same time and is such a nice side for any of the warm, carb-filled fall meals you’ll be enjoying when the weather starts to cool down.

I love the mix of flavors and I’ll absolutely be making it a handful of times this fall. I hope you’ll try it too! If you do, don’t forget to tag #marinamakeseats.

Harvest Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup of fresh figs, chopped into quarters
• 1 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of raw honey
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 5 cups of a romaine or spinach mix
• 4-5 fresh figs, sliced
• 2 oz of goat cheese
• 1/2 cup of pecans

Directions

Heat the quartered figs, balsamic and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to combine and allow the sugar to dissolve. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture reduces by about half and is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and use a colander to strain the liquid into a small bowl, discarding the figs. Place the bowl in the freezer to solidify and cool off for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, add olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl and whisk to combine.

To assemble the salad, add lettuce, fresh figs, goat cheese and pecans to a medium bowl. Top with fig balsamic dressing.