This Fall Salad with Fig Balsamic Salad Dressing is super easy to make and makes for the best Fall or Winter Salad. This recipe only takes 15 minutes to make and pairs well with just about anything! The sweet ripe figs combined with the sweet potatoes, blackberries and homemade dressing is so so delicious.
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You don’t need to go to an expensive restaurants to have a fun salad like this. I love creating salads that make you actually want to eat them at home! No boring salads here. If you like a good salad like I do, check out some of my other favorite salads on my blog like my Cucumber Watermelon Salad, Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, Arugula Pear Salad, Butternut Squash Feta Salad, and The Best Kale Salad.
Why I Love This Recipe
- You can make this extra salad dressing into a flavorful marinade with chicken or salmon.
- This simple salad is naturally dairy free, gluten free, soy free, refined sugar free, paleo and egg free.
- This is a great salad to make for dinner at home or even take to a gathering.
- I love to make extras of this tangy vinaigrette so you have extra dressing on hand at all times. It is so much more economical to make your own dressings plus they usually end up being better for you too! If you like making your own dressings check out my other homemade salad dressing on my blog: Orange Poppyseed Dressing or my Lemon Tahini Dressing.
Simple Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes-These are a must! I love the added taste and a healthier source of a carb.
- Avocado oil and sea salt-To roast the sweet potatoes in.
- Blackberries & sweet figs-Adds some juicy sweetness. The ripeness of the figs adds so much sweet flavor.
- Pine nuts-This adds a nice crunch.
- Blue cheese or goat cheese-Adds a touch of saltiness deliciousness.
- Baby spinach-This is my go to salad greens for this salad.
For the balsamic dressing:
- Balsamic vinegar- This adds
- Dijon mustard-This cuts the vinegar in the dressing so it is a bit creamy.
- Fresh garlic cloves-For flavor.
- Fresh figs-You will want to save some of the fresh figs for the dressing and the salad itself.
- Extra virgin olive oil-This is the base of the dressing.
- Maple syrup-This adds a tad bit of sweetness to the dressing.
- Sea salt & black pepper-For flavor.
See the recipe card below for a full ingredient list and measurements.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cheese-If you are dairy free like I am, you can use a nut cheese or other dairy free cheeses.
- Maple syrup-You can also use honey in its place.
- Vinegar-You can also use apple cider vinegar in its place.
- Greens-You can use arugula if you want more peppery greens or romaine if you would like something softer.
- Protein-If you would like added protein on top, salmon and marinate chicken are my favorites!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Recipe Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Now, wash the sweet potatoes and dice them up into small 1/2 inch cubes and toss with the avocado oil and sea salt. Now roast for 30 minutes or until they are soft all the way through. You can push a pork through to do the trick.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, wash the fruit and slice the stems off of the fresh figs. Slice the figs in half.
- Now, add the balsamic fig dressing ingredients into a food processor or a bowl with an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Set the balsamic vinaigrette aside and pour the dressing over the salad as you are ready to serve.
- Lastly, assemble the salad with the fruit and sweet potatoes on top.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Tip #1: Make sure your figs are ripe! Ripe figs are a bit softer to touch. This will ensure they are nice and sweet.
- Tip #2: Wait to assemble the salad until you are ready to eat to ensure freshness.
- Tip #3: Invest in a high quality food processor to make your dressings, it will blend them nicely!
Recipe FAQs
If you are preparing the salad, I would wait to assemble it until you are ready to serve. The dressing itself lasts for up to 7 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Be sure to choose a balsamic vinegar that does not have additives like caramel coloring or sugar in it.
This is common and nothing to worry about. Just add the dressing back into a bowl or food processor and blend or mix until well mixed throughout.
This recipe can also be used for marinating proteins as well as over a pasta salad or on a sandwich.
Other Fall Recipes You Will Love
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Fall Salad With Fig Balsamic Salad Dressing
Equipment
- baking sheet
- food processor or whisk
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 7 cups spinach
- 1 whole sweet potato washed and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 10 whole figs washed and sliced in half, use dried if out of season
- 1 cup blackberries washed
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup goat cheese Or blue cheese, use vegan cheese if you are dairy free.
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 5 figs Washed, stems removed and sliced.
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 400 degrees F.Now, wash the sweet potatoes and dice them up into small 1/2 inch cubes and toss with the avocado oil and sea salt. Now roast for 30 minutes or until they are soft all the way through. You can push a pork through to do the trick.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, wash the fruit and slice the stems off of the fresh figs. Slice the figs in half.
- Now, add the balsamic fig dressing ingredients into a food processor or a bowl with an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Set the balsamic vinaigrette aside and pour the dressing over the salad as you are ready to serve.
- Lastly, assemble the salad with the fruit and sweet potatoes on top.
Christina says
One of my all time favorite salads! It’s so fresh and the dressing is amazing!
Lori says
This is my favorite salad – fresh and delicious! The figs are such a great addition.
Allianna Moximchalk says
Thanks!