A perfect fig salad needs to balance the sweetness of the figs without hiding their essence, and my fig salad does just that.
Figs bring back so many memories from my teta's garden where every summer me and my cousins would climb her fig trees and eat the ripe ones till their were none left!
Unfortunately her fig grove is gone now, but hopefully there will be better days when our children will climb fig trees in Lebanon again.
If you are looking for fresh summery salads don't forget to try out our watermelon salad, and of course the more traditional fattoush and tabbouleh salads.
The fig season in the Mediterranean runs from June to September so there is still time to source some delicious figs for your salad.
Try and find smallish one that are slightly soft (not too hard not too squishy) so you can slice them easily and they keep their shape but have enough sweetness.
Ingredients
Salads are not strict things but a reflection of what is growing at that time in the year, so I have used summer tomatoes as the other main ingredient.
I like to use baby salad leaves although you can also use gem lettuce too.
For the cheese, I like the soft tartness of goats cheese here.
Other acceptable white cheeses include feta, Turkish salad cheese or even softened halloumi (in hot water for a minute).
For the sour element I have chosen to use pomegranate molasses which complements the sweetness of the figs.
You can use cream of balsamic vinegar too although I find it then becomes too sweet, but it is an alternative if you don't have pomegranate molasses.
Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can afford for salads, sprinkling generously at the end to bring the salad together.
Top Tips
Salads should be light and refreshing not dull or heavy, and summer salads should be especially light.
The overall texture too should be in keeping with the main ingredient, which here is the fig.
So for example, the tomato should be sliced to a similar size of the sliced fig.
I keep the salad leaves whole, but the herbs (chive and mint) finely chopped.
I give you a range of ingredients (eg 3-5) so you can add more of what you like and less of those you are fine with.
Finally, always always taste your salad before serving to adjust any seasoning (extra salt or molasses)
📖 Recipe
Lebanese Fig Salad
Fig salad with goats cheese, walnuts and pomegranate molasses
Ingredients
- 2 cups of baby leaves 2 good handfuls
- 1 salad tomato sliced into semi circles
- 4-6 figs sliced into rounds
- 3-5 walnuts crushed coarsely by hand
- 5-7 sprigs of chives finely chopped
- 2 mint leaves finely chopped
- soft goats cheese approx 40g, cubed
- drizzle of pomegranate molasses approx 1 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil approx 2 tbsp
- sprinkle of salt
Instructions
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In a serving platter, arrange the salad leaves, and lay the sliced tomatoes on top, followed by the sliced figs
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Then add little cubes of goats cheese, crushed walnuts (by hand), and finely chopped mint and chives
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Finally sprinkle a little salt, drizzle the pomegranate molasses and extra virgin olive oil
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Taste to adjust seasoning as necessary, and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
You can also use feta, Turkish salad cheese, or halloumi (softened in hot water for 1 minute)
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this:
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