A “Figgy” Fall Salad
Oct 12, 2014, Updated Aug 12, 2017
Fresh figs are flooding the local markets and I love combining them in an autumnal salad with almonds, apple and a drizzle of honey-infused vinaigrette. Ripe Meyer lemons on our trees are few and far between this month, but I found one remaining among the green golf ball-sized crop that will ripen early next winter. I use lemons almost every day in my low-salt kitchen and have been making my own vinaigrette for years, trying to vary my ingredients, keeping salads seasonal yet low in sodium.
For my greens, I used a mixture of beet greens, baby spinach and kale. Originally, I made this salad using slices of goat cheese that I dipped and egg white and gently cooked in a bit of olive oil. Wanting to cut back on fat, calories, and cholesterol, I decided to simply add goat cheese crumbles instead.
A “Figgy” Fall Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
- 1 tablespoon organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon organic honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest - or the zest of any lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups organic cool weather baby greens
- 8 organic ripe black figs, halved
- 1/2 large, organic Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Toast the chopped almonds in a small skillet over medium heat. As soon as you smell the almonds, give the skillet a shake and toast for one more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and lemon zest together in a large salad bowl.
- Add the greens, figs, apple, goat cheese crumbles, and toasted almonds. Toss gently with the vinaigrette. Serve at once.
Nutrition
Liz Schmitt’s cooking changed dramatically following her husband’s heart attack in 2011. Now thirty-five pounds lighter, she adheres to a low-salt diet, avoids “white” foods and treasures every day with her now heart-healthy husband. She shares her recipes on her blog, Liz the Chef, and you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
I’m almost wishing that it was Autumn again rather than the end of Spring. I love this salad. Liz makes some great food.
Thanks for making my day, Maureen – truly.
Liz, such a beautiful salad. The flavors, the colors, the textures — and you captured all of it in that gorgeous photo!
Thanks, Valentina – I always enjoy your posts and admire your recipe development.
…and you rock. XOGREG
It has been too long – hope to see you soon. You have been such a support and mentor. X0 Liz
Thanks, Beth – I think blue cheese would be wonderful in the salad.
What a lovely salad – really intrigued by the combination of greens and what could possibly not be fabulous w meyer lemons, figs, apples, and goat cheese. I think blue could be fantastic as well! Great job Liz!
Such a gorgeous salad Liz! Beautiful photo and I think I would like to try this, I am pinning for later! So proud of you for doing the Unprocessed 🙂
I never do a perfect job on “unprocessed”, Wendy, but we have definitely incorporated it into a lifestyle. Larry is down 15 pounds, just following the “diet” for three years – and we eat well.
I wish I had this recipe 2 weeks ago when my figs were ripe! I’m in Ohio and I have 4 fig trees, 2 being producers right now….I love anything with fresh figs! Thanks for sharing this!
Ditto, Julie, I love fresh figs. My elderly neighbors used to have three trees – how I miss them and the fig trees the new owners replaced with, well, nothing edible.
I wish we had fresh figs out here but on the East Coast I believe it is rare. I heard they are delectible.
Believe me, having grown up in PA, I appreciate the bounty of fruit and vegetables that San Diego offers – and I have lived here since 1974.
What a perfect, lovely salad that celebrates fall!
Thank you, Susan – you always inspire me with your creative recipes.