Nothing quite beats drizzling honey over freshly sliced figs except the accompaniment of mangoes and toasted pine nuts. This fresh fig salad epitomises the summer months and is perfect for those long lunches under the warm sun. All done in under 15 minutes too!
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Why You’ll Love Fresh Fig Salad Recipe With Mango
Figs have a short season, and when you see the perfect figs with their smooth skin and gorgeous green and purple hues, they are pretty hard to ignore.
Even more satisfying is when you bite into them or cut them in half, and they are so completely fresh and pink on the inside.
Inevitably fig season also means mangos are in abundance. I wanted to incorporate the 2 fruits together but not serve up mangos in the usual manner. Pureeing the mango gave the salad a creamy finish without being overly thick or, on the other end of the spectrum, soggy.
Some other ways to prepare mango include slicing them as we did in our Mango Avocado Salad with Crispy Chorizo, you can skewer them like our Celeriac Mango and Guava Salad or juice cube them such as our Tropical Mango Salad with Coconut Flakes.
This fresh fig salad recipe can be whipped up in under 15 minutes and doesn’t require a lot of mucking around. The colours are also striking, making it yet another dinner centrepiece.
It is sweet, fresh and crazy easy to make!
When Are Figs in Season?
Figs are a summer fruit. They enjoy a short spurt at the start of summer followed by a longer season at the end of summer. Hence this recipe is the best fig salad for the warmer months.
If you’re wondering what months figs are ripe, try June to August in the Northern Hemisphere and December to February in the Southern Hemisphere.
Do You Eat Fig Skin?
Yes, you can eat fig skin. It is completely edible and safe to consume. In this fresh fig salad recipe, we have left the skin on.
The skin is usually very thin, but some people prefer to peel them before eating as it leaves a tingling or slightly burning sensation on their tongues. Some people think it’s because a fig has thousands of tiny little hairs, causing a tickling feeling.
Others however believe that the real reason for the burning sensation is that figs contain an enzyme called ficin, which is used to break down protein.
How to Serve Figs in a Salad?
We absolutely adore salad recipes with figs.
As they are: Fresh figs truly are the best way to enjoy them in salads. You can choose to peel them or leave them as they are. Cut them into slices as we have done in this recipe or you can cut them into wedges as we did in our Nashi Pear Salad with Fig and Prosciutto.
Grilled: Ever tried grilling figs? This fruit responds very well to heat. Slice them up, add some olive oil and place them on a grill plate or out on the BBQ. This Grilled Fig and Whipped Goat Cheese Salad is one of our absolute favourite salad recipes with figs.
Roasted: A classic way to prepare figs for salads would be to roast them.Place them in the oven and let the magic happen. Soft, juicy and utterly sweet, warm roasted figs are something else. Our Balsamic Roasted Figs and Halloumi Salad will show exactly why we love it so much.
Recipe Overview
Flavour/Texture: This entire fig salad just screams summer. It is fresh, sweet yet savoury and filled with gorgeous summer fruits. The figs are always delicate, the mixed leaves offer savoury notes while the pureed mango is surprisingly creamy in texture.
Ease: Super easy! You’re just slicing the figs, putting mango into a food processor or blender and quickly toasting some pine nuts and you’re done!
Time: Done in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make fresh fig salad recipe:
Figs: You can use purple, brown or black figs for this fig salad recipe, or even a variety of each. If you’re lucky, you know someone with a fig tree and are needing to give them all away!
Honey: Use good quality honey as you’re having it as they are, drizzled over the sliced figs.
Mixed leaves: Any mixed leaves will work for this recipe. Or you can just use arugula or baby spinach leaves on their own.
Pine nuts: Dry toast in a small fry pan for 2 minutes or until they are golden brown. Adds a smoky and nutty flavour to the fig salad.
Chervil: Sprinkle some chervil leaves on top of the fig salad for much needed herbaceous notes and also for garnish. Chervil leaves are delicate and visibly pretty.
Mango: With so many different varieties of mangoes out there, it’s a personal choice how sweet you’d like it to be. Some mangoes tend to be ultra sweet, while others have a slight tartness to them. Just make sure they are slightly on the riper side so it’s easier to puree.
Variations and Substitutions
Vegan option: Replace the honey with maple syrup or even organic malt syrup. Agave tends to be a little too sweet but certainly a good substitute, too, if that’s your preference. You can also omit it altogether if you don’t think the recipe needs it.
Nut free option: If you don’t wish to include any type of nut in this fresh fig salad, you can dry toast some sunflower seeds or pepitas. We’re just after some crunch as well as a slight smokey flavour.
Pine nut substitute: You can pretty much use any nut but pistachios and cashews would probably work best. Chop it up slightly so they are not so big. Shaved almonds would also be a great alternative.
Mixed leaves replacement: Just make sure they are soft and delicate rather than crunchy. Arugula would work nicely with this salad if you want to offset the sweetness and provide some peppery notes. Baby spinach leaves are a great idea too.
Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make fresh fig salad recipe:
How to Make Fig Salad
This is so easy you’d be surprised!
Cut the ends off the figs and slice. Each fig should yield about 4-5 slices.
In a small mixing bowl, add the mixed leaves, 1 tsp of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well combined.
In a small fry pan, dry toast pine nuts for about 1 minute or until golden brown.
Chop chervil leaves to yield 1 tbsp.
How to Make the Mango Puree
Extract all the flesh from the mangos.
Add mango and 1 tbsp of olive oil into a food processor and puree.
How To Assemble The Salad
If possible, serve on a plate or platter with a bit of a lip so the puree doesn’t run.
Put the puree on the plate. Pick up the plate and swirl it so that it distributes evenly.
Add the mixed leaves on top.
Then add the pine nuts.
Place the sliced figs on top in the middle. Don’t place all over the plate as you want to allow the mango’s bright colours to be seen.
Drizzle honey all over the figs.
Sprinkle chervil.
Season with cracked pepper.
Serve.
How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]
Good quality figs: As the figs are the featured ingredient of this salad, you need to be sure that they are perfect. Ensure they are nice and firm, the skin is taut, not wrinkly, and they look plump.
Fresh mangoes: Fresh mangoes are the way to go to make the mango puree. While you could technically use frozen mangoes, they wouldn’t be as flavoursome. Besides, during the summer, there should be an abundance of mangoes around.
Great Mains for This Salad
What to serve with fresh fig salad recipe? Try these delicious main dish recipes:
How great is summer dining when we can make grilled lobster tails? Serving it up with the sweetness of figs and mangoes is an excellent way to make a complete meal.
For a more substantial dinner filled with flavour, you can’t go past this St Louis ribs with homemade barbecue sauce recipe. For something less heavy and if you have the BBQ out, these veggie kabobs with halloumi are all you’ll need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Figs are best eaten when they are purchased. They may only last a day or two.
Best to store them at room temperature in an open space rather than being confined to a cramped space.
If you’re wondering if they can be frozen, they can but once thawed, they never quite have the same consistency as a fresh fig would.
Figs are expensive because of their temperamental growing conditions. It has to be of the right temperature, which inevitably dictates where it can be grown. Logistics, therefore, adds to the costs.
They are also a very fragile fruit that wrinkles and bruises easily. It has a short shelf life. There are only a few days from tree to market, so the elusive hunt for the perfect fig comes at a price.
In saying that, however, they truly are worth every penny.
Figs are such a versatile fruit as you can choose to have sweet or savoury toppings.
Our sweet favourites are honey, maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon and caramel. All of which can be incorporated into a fig salad recipe, not just desserts.
Dairy is a fig’s best friend, especially the likes of creme fraiche, labneh feta cheese and even blue cheese to counteract the sweetness.
The sweet and salty combination is favourable, while bitter and aniseed flavours provide excellent contrast. Salad leaves such as arugula and watercress are very popular combinations.
Told you it was easy and seriously, how pretty are the colours! A wonderfully simple salad to complement any summer fare!
That’s all!
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Recipe
Fresh Fig Salad Recipe With Mango
Ingredients
Salad
Mango Puree
- 2 ` mango
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
Salad
- Cut the ends off the figs and slice. Each fig should yield about 4-5 slices.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the mixed leaves, 1 tsp of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well combined.
- In a small fry pan, dry toast pine nuts for about 1 minute or until golden brown.
- Chop chervil leaves to yield 1 tbsp.
Mango Puree
- Extract all the flesh from the mangos.
- Add mango and 1 tbsp of olive oil into a food processor and puree.
Assembly
- If possible, serve on a plate or platter with a bit of a lip, so the puree doesn’t run.
- Put the puree on the plate. Pick up the plate and swirl it so that it is evenly distributed.
- Add the mixed leaves on top.
- Then add the pine nuts.
- Place the sliced figs on top in the middle. Don’t place all over the plate as you want to allow the mango's bright colours to be seen.
- Sprinkle with chervil.
- Drizzle honey all over the figs.
- Season with cracked pepper.
- Serve.
Notes
- If you’re able to, purchase the figs the day you’re making the salad. Or at least the day before. You want them to be as fresh as possible as they are the showcase for this side dish.
- Any mixed leaves will do. Just make sure they are soft and delicate rather than crunchy. Arugula would work nicely with this salad if you want to offset the sweetness and provide some peppery notes.
- Pine nuts can be replaced with any nut such as shaved almonds or crushed pistachios.
- For additional crunch factor, add some sunflower seeds or pepitas.
- The choice of mango is entirely up to you. I chose the less sweet variety for this recipe as the figs and honey were already on the sweet side. I selected mildly tart mangoes.
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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Anaiah
Ok, I seriously had NO idea about the figs and the wasps. Soo crazy!! Kind of odd information to think about but I’m still gonna eat it. I’m probably just going to have to look inside the figs a little closer though lol!
This salad looks bomb and packed with flavor! Figs are my absolute fave. I can’t wait to try it!
The Devil Wears Salad
Lol! Every since I learnt that, I do look at them closer too! But so far so good so I think the chance of that happening is slim. We love this salad. So sweet and fresh!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
Yummy. Yummy. My mouth is watering. I want to eat that!
The Devil Wears Salad
LOL! Thanks!
Natalie
Wow, that salad is gorgeous. What a flavor combo. Just one big YUM! I have to give this a try. Thanks for the recipe.
The Devil Wears Salad
Thanks Natalie! The combination is lovely.
Jessica Formicola
I love all of these sweet flavors! This is exactly the salad I want for lunch today!
The Devil Wears Salad
We love them too! Hope you you managed to sneak it in for lunch!
Audrey
I love figs! You really can’t go wrong with figs and honey.
The Devil Wears Salad
Exactly. Match made in heaven!