• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipe Index
  • About Le Chef's Wife
  • Press
  • Contact

Le Chef's Wife logo

  • Start Here
  • Soup Sunday
  • Riviera Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Boutique
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Riviera Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Riviera Recipes

    Published: Aug 22, 2021 · Modified: Jun 2, 2023 by Anina Belle Giannini

    Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad with amazing honey dressing

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese salad is UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. The beauty of the fresh figs, the soft decadence of the goat cheese, the sweetness of the honey dressing. YUM! Perhaps made even more special that fresh figs , in the North East USA, are not very easy to find. When I stumble on Fresh figs I stop in my tracks and take as many as I can.

    Click here if you love French Summer Salads. You will enjoy this post with my 11 favorite French Summer Salad Recipes such as La Salade Tropezienne, La Salade Mentonnaise, La Salade Lyonnaise and La Salade Parisienne.

    fresh figs salad with goat cheese on a blue plate
    Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese salad with honey dressing

    J'Adore! Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    When was the first time you tried a fresh, ripe fig? I bet you remember it. I certainly do. As a kid I grew up with Fig Newtons cookies as my only reference to figs. I first tasted a fresh fig in the South of France at the annual Fig Festival in the Varois village of Solliès-Pont. There is nothing like the rich, juicy flavor of a fresh fig. The scent of ripe figs is intoxicating with a fleshy texture that is not too sweet.

    Fig festival in provence
    La fête de la Figue in Solliès-Pont (the end of August every year)

    Figs pair beautifully with roasted meats (you can add fig halves into the roasting pan with Chicken, pork or lamb for a delicious side) but I love them most raw when you can fully taste their flavor.

    Where can I find fresh figs?

    In the north East USA the season for figs is august to September. Sometimes you can find them at Farmer's Markets but I also have been lucky at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. My local Giant supermarket started carrying Fresh Figs this year and I couldn't be happier. Look in the produce section, you might be surprised!

    How do I know when a fig is ripe?

    When the figs become a deep purple and the skin is still rather firm, they are ripe. They should almost appear dusty. You don't want the skin to go mushy - they are over ripe. Not good.

    How to serve fresh figs?

    In a salad, like this one with goat cheese and honey dressing.
    As a side with roasted meats
    As part of an elegant cheese course

    a fresh fig cut in half

    Ingredients for Fresh Fig and Goat cheese salad (for 2)

    • 8 Fresh Figs (look for the largest, ripest you can find)
    • 4 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
    • 6 tablespoons of fresh goat cheese
    • (optional: 2 tbsps slivered almonds)

    Ingredients for the amazing honey vinaigrette.

    Why is this vinaigrette amazing? Because it is so simple to make and gives such a great taste to your salad - especially summer salads with stone fruit or goat cheese. Try it once and it will become your go-to salad dressing!

    • 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
    • 1 tbsp Honey (any honey works here - I love a lavender honey in particular)
    • pinch of sea salt.

    How to serve Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese salad

    This salad is absolutely delicious on its own. The sheer uniqueness and beauty of the ripe figs make this salad a showstopper dish to serve at a lunch or brunch with friends or family. Pair with a Provençal Rosé and serve with some fresh baked baguettes to make a true French Riviera meal.

    For fancy dinner, the salad can be served as a side to grilled or roasted meats after the main course instead of a cheese course. The natural sweetness of the vinaigrette makes for a wonderful transition into the dessert course.

    Other Salad recipes you will enjoy:

    Honey Roasted Plum & Goat Cheese

    Tomato Burrata with basil & orange zest

    Salade Niçoise

    I also invite you to try this recipe for a Fig, Hazelnut & Prosciutto Salad by my friend, Cheryl, of Bakes by Brown Sugar.

    Have you made my Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad recipe? Let me know! A comment and a rating are always appreciated!

    Au plaisir mes amis,

    Le Chef's Wife

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    fresh figs salad with goat cheese on a blue plate

    Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad with amazing honey dressing

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
    • Author: Anina Belle Gianini
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 2
    • Category: starters, salads
    • Method: Raw
    • Cuisine: French
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese salad is UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. The beauty of the fresh figs, the soft decadence of the goat cheese, the sweetness of the honey dressing. YUM! Serve as light lunch with a fresh baked baguette and glass of Rosé, as a beautiful side dish or as an elegant cheese course to finish a meal. 


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Ingredients for Fresh Fig and Goat cheese salad

    • 8 Fresh Figs (look for the largest, ripest you can find)
    • 4 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
    • 6 tablespoons of fresh goat cheese 
    • (optional: 2 tbsp slivered almonds)

     

    Ingredients for the amazing honey vinaigrette.

    Why is this vinaigrette amazing? Because it is so simple to make and gives such a great taste to your salad - especially summer salads with stone fruit or goat cheese.

    3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

    1 tbsp Honey (any honey works here - I love a lavender honey in particular)

    pinch of sea salt.


    Instructions

    1. Split your mixed greens into two plates
    2. Slice your figs in half, arranging 8 fig halves on each plate, insides up.
    3. crumble the goat cheese over each plate
    4. For the dressing:
    5. In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar until the vinaigrette thickens slightly.
    6. Drizzle over the salads.
    7. (optional: top with slivered almonds for added crunch)

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

    Le-Chefs-Wife-logo-final

    More Riviera Recipes

    • 2 copper plates with Le Grand Aïoli, shrimp, cod, fresh vegetables, mussels a french baguette and aïoli and a baguette
      Garlic Aioli Sauce
    • merguez sandwich with piperade sauce and taboule
      Gourmet BBQ Recipes
    • french onion Soup gratinée in a white bowl with wine
      The 15 best French Soup Recipes
    • ratatouille topped with fresh basil
      Authentic Ratatouille Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. LC says

      September 06, 2024 at 8:30 am

      The figs are finally in at our local farmer’s market in Hamburg! Can’t wait to try this salad. Yum!

      Reply
      • Anina Belle Giannini says

        September 07, 2024 at 11:24 pm

        Thank you for your kind message. Let me know what you think of the salad! Figs are my favorite.

        Reply
    2. Mary says

      June 12, 2022 at 6:00 am

      I'm a bit confused by the dressing recipe. Do you mean balsamic vinegar? Thank you for your thoughts.

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        June 24, 2022 at 1:07 am

        Hello Mary, thank you for catching that! I did mean balsamic vinegar. I have updated the blog post. Thank you!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    Bonjour. If you are looking for French Recipes, made simple, you are in the right place! I translate the fancy cooking of my French Chef husband into easy-to-follow recipes that busy people with no culinary training, like me, can cook. From French Baguettes to French Riviera classic recipes, I invite you to learn French cooking with me.

    More about me →


    Follow Me On

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Popular

    • homemade French baguettes piled up on a striped cotton towl
      Quick Easy French Baguettes (Baking Baguettes for Beginners)
    • a bowl of leek soup with sauteed leeks as a garnish
      Magical Leek Soup
    • oven roasted bone in ribeye steak with potato skewers
      Bone in Ribeye Steak Recipe
    • Branzino on a plate with Vierge Sauce made of tomatoes, capers, shallots, olives and basil
      Mediterranean Branzino Filet Recipe with Vierge Sauce
    • poulet roti - roast chicken with lemon and thyme and garlic fresh out of the oven
      Lemon Thyme French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti)
    • french crepe with blueberry compote
      Easy French Crêpes Recipe

    Fall Recipes

    • french onion Soup gratinée in a white bowl with wine
      Le Chef's French Onion Soup Gratinée
    • Parisian Potato salad on a plate with mixed greens and a glass of white wine
      La Salade Parisienne - the best French Potato Salad
    • coq au vin blanc , a chicken stew with white wine, pork belly, celery, onions, mushrooms, parsley
      Coq au Vin Blanc
    • Turkey au vin and mashed potatoes with red wine
      Turkey au Vin
    • Petits Farcis Niçois
      Les Petits Farcis Niçois (or Petits Farcis à la Provençale)
    • 2 pots of French chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings
      Mousse au Chocolat (French Chocolate Mousse made simple)


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    My Favorites

    • homemade French baguettes piled up on a striped cotton towl
    • Nicoise salad - tomatoes, artichokes, capers, cucumbers olives and capers with tuna
    • Le Chef's Wife in her kitchen in front of a row of pots and pans

    Search

    Follow

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Featured In


    Privacy Policy Accessibility Policy

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme