Fig Salad with Feta, Walnuts and Thyme Honey

This fig salad puts sweet, jammy figs together with salty feta, peppery rocket and crunchy walnuts, finished with olive oil and a little thyme honey. It is ready in 20 minutes and makes a striking starter or a light lunch. In Greece, fresh figs are a late-summer fruit; for the rest of the year you can make it with dried figs.

Fig salad with feta, walnuts and thyme honey

Serves: 4 servings as a starter. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 5 minutes (toasting walnuts). Total: 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 6–8 ripe fresh figs (or 8 soft dried figs, see the note below)
• 4 large handfuls (about 3 oz / 85 g) rocket (arugula) or mixed leaves
• 3½ oz (100 g) feta or soft goat cheese, crumbled
• ⅓ cup (40 g) walnuts
• 1–2 tbsp Kalymnos thyme honey
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, such as our Rapti Koroneiki olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• A pinch of Greek sea salt and black pepper
• A few fresh thyme or mint leaves (optional)

Method

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant. Let them cool and roughly chop them.
2. Rinse the figs and leaves under running water and dry them well. Trim the stems from the figs and cut them into quarters or thick slices.
3. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Toss the leaves with half the dressing and spread them on a platter.
5. Arrange the figs on top, then scatter over the cheese and walnuts.
6. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and the honey, add the thyme or mint and serve straight away.

Choosing figs

Ripe fresh figs are soft when gently pressed, smell sweet and may have small cracks in the skin. They are delicate, so buy them a day or two before you need them, keep them in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before serving. Any colour of fig works: green-skinned figs are often honeyed and mild, purple ones deeper in flavour.

Making it with dried figs

Out of season, use soft dried figs. Remove any hard stems (see do you remove stems from dried figs?), then plump them in warm water or tea for 10–15 minutes, as explained in how to soften dried figs. Slice them and use slightly fewer, because dried figs are much sweeter and more concentrated than fresh ones. You may want to skip the honey.

Cheese and other swaps

Instead of	Try
Feta	Soft goat cheese, ricotta or torn mozzarella
Walnuts	Toasted almonds, pistachios or pine nuts
Rocket	Watercress, baby spinach or mixed leaves
Red wine vinegar	Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Honey	A little pomegranate molasses

For a more filling plate, add thin slices of cured ham or a handful of cooked grains, or serve the salad next to grilled meat such as pork souvlaki.

Why thyme honey?

A strong-flavoured honey stands up to the figs and cheese. Greek thyme honey is aromatic and herbal; our Greek thyme honey guide explains its character, and whipped feta with honey uses the same sweet-salty pairing. Any runny honey will work.

Serving and storage

Dress the salad just before serving, or the leaves will wilt. If you have leftovers, store the undressed figs, cheese and leaves separately in the fridge and eat them within a day or two; the USDA advises refrigerating perishable food within 2 hours. This salad contains milk (cheese) and tree nuts (walnuts), two of the major food allergens listed by the US FDA.

More ideas for figs are in dried fig recipes and fig bars, and nutrition facts are in dried figs nutrition. Shop the Greek dried figs collection.

Sources

• US FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits, vegetables
• USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
• US FDA: Food allergies, what you need to know (the 9 major food allergens)

Fig salad: frequently asked questions