• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Eat Your Veggies » Fig Salad with Spinach

Published: September 3, 2015 Last Modified: July 17, 2019 By Sara 16 Comments

Fig Salad with Spinach

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Fig Salad | Spinach Salad #salad #figs #dinner #spinach #dinneratthezoo

A fig salad full of spinach, figs, blue cheese, roasted acorn squash and candied pecans, all tossed in a balsamic dressing. A unique fall salad option!

There’s not much better than fresh figs, and they’re definitely the star of this loaded salad. I make this fig salad year round, and when figs are out of season, I substitute in pears for an equally delicious result.

Fig Salad | Spinach Salad #salad #figs #dinner #spinach #dinneratthezoo Fig Salad | Spinach Salad #salad #figs #dinner #spinach #dinneratthezoo

Fig salad with spinach, acorn squash, pecans and blue cheese.

I think that figs may be my absolute favorite fruit. Part of the appeal is that they’re one of the few fruits left that are truly seasonal so it’s a treat when the figs start popping up in the stores. I saw these giant containers of figs at the store and knew that I’d better buy them before they were gone – and the store actually sold out of them by the next day, I guess there are a lot of fig lovers around here! This fig spinach salad pairs the delectable fruit with roasted acorn squash, candied pecans and blue cheese for a healthy dish that’s sure to become a fall favorite.

How do you make fig salad?

This is a super simple recipe – the only real prep work is roasting the squash. The squash gets cut into thin slices and roasted in the oven until it’s caramelized. Did you know that you can eat the skin of the acorn squash? It’s totally edible and it saves a lot of time in trying to peel that funny shaped thing! If you’re not into acorn squash, butternut will also work well.

Spinach salad topped with fresh figs, roasted squash, nuts and cheese.

The roasted squash and figs will go on a bed of spinach, along with some blue cheese and candied pecans. See those purple flowers? They’re GARLIC flowers. I put them there for photography styling purposes and let me tell you, they let off quite an aroma onto the salad. I wouldn’t recommend adding the flowers unless you happen to be a food photographer – they’re pretty to look at but not so pretty to eat. ANYWAYS.

A bowl filled with spinach, fig and pecan salad.

I went with a honey dijon balsamic vinaigrette to finish off this fig spinach salad. The dressing takes about 3 minutes to put together, just pour the ingredients into a jar and shake!

Balsamic dressing being poured over fig salad.

The balsamic pairs wonderfully with the figs and the crunch of the nuts and saltiness of the blue cheese add a nice contrast. I’m going to be soaking in fig season for as long as it lasts. Hopefully some day the little fig tree in our yard will produce more than 2 figs at a time so that I can have my own personal stash. In the meantime I’ll keep hunting for them at the store and enjoying them in this salad.

Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

More Salad Recipes

  • Ramen Noodle Salad
  • Pesto Pasta Salad
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Winter Fruit Salad
  • Tuscan Kale Salad
This spinach salad recipe is full of figs, roasted acorn squash, candied pecans and blue cheese and is finished off with a honey balsamic dressing.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Fig Spinach Salad

A fig salad full of spinach, figs, blue cheese, roasted acorn squash and candied pecans, all tossed in a balsamic dressing. A unique fall salad option!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 323kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 6 cups baby spinach
  • 1 1/2 cups of quartered fresh figs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided use
  • 1 tablespoon honey divided use
  • 1 small acorn squash
  • cooking spray
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup candied pecans
  • 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Instructions

  • For the dressing:
  • In a small container combine the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of honey. Season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine or put a lid on the container and shake vigorously.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Cut the acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Slice the squash crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.
  • Lay the squash slices in one even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of honey. Toss the squash to coat evenly in the honey and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Roast the squash for 20-25 minutes, until squash is tender and browned. Remove from oven and cool until slightly warm or room temperature.
  • Place the spinach in a large bowl, top with figs, squash, pecans and blue cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Notes

Make Ahead: The squash can be roasted a day in advance and the dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 383mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Eat Your Veggies, Everyday Meals, Light & Healthy, Side Dishes

FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

    ​
    ​

    Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

    « Orange Beef Stir Fry
    Neapolitan Waffles »

    Comments

    1. Mike says

      June 29, 2018 at 5:42 am

      5 stars
      This is a wild salad! I love the candied pecans. I skipped the squash and the salad came out great.

      Reply
    2. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

      September 5, 2015 at 9:49 am

      This is such a beautiful salad, Sara! I just made a fig salad recently with caramelized oranges and I’ll never go back! LOVE figs in salads!

      Reply
    3. Erin @ Texanerin Baking says

      September 4, 2015 at 10:57 pm

      Adding the flowers was so worth it! Even if the salad tasted terrible. These are honestly the most beautiful pictures I’ve ever seen of a salad. I don’t even like veggies but that salad is calling my name!

      Reply
    4. Susan | LunaCafe says

      September 4, 2015 at 8:44 pm

      What a gorgeous salad! I notice that you left the peel on the squash. Was that for photographic purpose?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 4, 2015 at 9:03 pm

        Acorn squash peel is thin and edible!

        Reply
    5. Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says

      September 4, 2015 at 5:29 pm

      I just can’t get over how incredibly gorgeous this salad is!

      Reply
    6. Emily | Rainbow Delicious says

      September 4, 2015 at 12:21 pm

      This salad looks delcious! I am seeing figs everywhere I go lately and can’t wait to try some in this recipe. We have purple garlic flowers in our backyard and my kids always pick them and bring them inside in little vases and make my house stink like garlic! They are a nice touch on this salad 🙂

      Reply
    7. Derek @ Dad With A Pan says

      September 4, 2015 at 11:12 am

      Beautiful shots! I bet this tastes just as good as it looks!

      Reply
    8. Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says

      September 4, 2015 at 10:50 am

      This is beyond gorgeous! Love the figs…I need to use those more! Too pretty!

      Reply
    9. Stephanie says

      September 4, 2015 at 8:44 am

      This looks delicious – but really I just want to put a big bowl of it on the table and stare at it! SO pretty!!

      Reply
    10. heather @french press says

      September 4, 2015 at 8:33 am

      seriously, this is the MOST gorgeous salad – and I;m not even a big fig fan, but I would dig right in!!

      Reply
    11. Jessica @ Sprinkle Some Sugar says

      September 4, 2015 at 7:50 am

      What a beautiful salad! The flowers made me laugh. The things we’ll do to get a beautiful photo! Lol!

      Reply
    12. Joy @ Joy Love Food says

      September 4, 2015 at 7:28 am

      What a gorgeous salad! I love all the colors and those little purple garlic flowers, I will have to give those a try!

      Reply
    13. Chandra@The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen says

      September 4, 2015 at 6:26 am

      I absolutely adore figs! I totally know what you mean about food styling and then it’s not so good to eat! The garlic flowers paid off though. Photos are beautiful!

      Reply
    14. Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me says

      September 4, 2015 at 6:23 am

      I love figs and this salad is gorgeous. Can’t wait to make it!

      Reply
    15. Marye says

      September 4, 2015 at 4:50 am

      Oh, this looks so yummy and colorful!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More

    Winter Soups

    A bowl of Texas chili topped with cheese and sour cream.

    Texas Chili Recipe

    A bowl of matzo ball soup with chicken, garnished with parsley.

    Matzo Ball Soup

    A bowl of pumpkin soup topped with bacon and pumpkin seeds.

    Pumpkin Soup with Bacon

    A bowl of creamy gnocchi soup topped with chopped parsley.

    Chicken Gnocchi Soup

    A pot of chicken and rice soup with carrots, celery, chicken breast and white rice.

    Chicken and Rice Soup

    A bowl full of slow cooker chicken tortilla soup with avocado, sour cream and tortilla strips.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

    More Posts from this Category

    Featured Recipes

    A plate of Instant Pot carnitas with rice, beans, salsa and tortillas.

    Instant Pot Carnitas

    These burrito bowls are loaded with marinated grilled chicken, cilantro lime rice, black beans and a variety of fun toppings. This recipe will become a dinner time staple at your house!

    Burrito Bowls with Chicken

    Pesto chicken in a baking dish with melted cheese and cherry tomatoes.

    Pesto Chicken Recipe

    Pineapple chicken stir fry in a skillet, topped with sauce, sesame seeds and green onions.

    Pineapple Chicken

    FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

    Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

      ​
      ​

      Categories

      Sites I am featured In
      PRIVACY POLICY ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2022.
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • RSS
      • Twitter
      • About Me
      • Contact Me
      • All Recipes
      • Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Dessert
      • One Pot Meals
      • Slow Cooker
      • Asian Food