I think I might need to start a new series on this blog called, “Recipes Developed from Cleaning Out the Refrigerator.” I’m about to head to the BlogHer and PMA Food Conference this weekend, so I thought it would be a good idea to clean out the fridge before I go.
Guess what, I found so many odd bits of partially-eaten vegetables and several bunches of untouched leafy greens! I blame the farmers market. Maybe my lack of restraint is to blame, too. I suppose salads are the way to go for the next few days!
I recently tried a dish with roasted figs and fell in love with the texture and flavor. I eat dried figs all the time, but I can’t get accustomed to the squishy texture of fresh figs. Roasting or pan-frying not only helps eliminate some of the off-putting soft texture of fresh figs, but it also adds a nice caramelized layer.
I didn’t end up using too much oil in this salad because the juiciness of the heirloom tomatoes was enough to make this salad happy.
Kale Fig Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 figs, quartered
- 1 TBS olive oil, divided
- 5 cups kale, about 2 large leaves
- 1/2 medium yellow pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup (35g) feta cheese
- 3/4 cup (165g) chickpeas
- 1 medium heirloom tomato, sliced
- 3 TBS diced red onion
- 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar, regular balsamic vinegar works also
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small sauté pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sliced figs into the pan, cut side down. Let them cook for about 2 minutes (or until the figs start to brown) and turn them over. Cook for another minute to get the other side browned. Remove the figs from heat.
- Rip apart the leafy parts of the kale from the stem, and chop the kale into smaller slices. Discard the tough stems.
- In a large bowl, toss the kale, yellow pepper, feta, chickpeas, heirloom tomato, and red onion together. Mix in the balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Season the salad with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
I’m on a fridge and pantry emptying mission too! Love the idea of using a little bit of all the farmers market finds in this recipe!
Lisa says
Thanks, Anne!
Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean says
i’m intrigued by the figs because i’ve only tried them once. need to expand my fruit palate!
Lisa says
I would definitely try roasting figs first. I was a bit put off by the soft texture of fresh figs.
BetsyRamirez,MEd,RDN (@BetsyRamirezRD) says
Figs are my new “try it again” food. I have bad memories of fig newtons so I have not touched them since but they are all over Europe so I may have to now.
Lisa says
Yes! Let me know if you come up with delicious recipes with figs!
Carrie @DietDeepDish says
Such a good idea! I love it when cleaning out the fridge leads to a great meal! I like the addition of the figs.
Lisa says
Thanks, Carrie!
Angie (@angiesrecipess) says
I like the pairing of kale and fig. The salad looks super, Lisa.
Lisa says
Thanks, Angie!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
I LOVE figs, but I hardly ever use them – I definitely need to go pick up a basket of ripe figs at the market today (and then clean out my fridge to make a salad:). This looks too good to pass up, Lisa!
Lisa says
Thanks, Sarah! I tried some kadota figs the other day, and they are AMAZING. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried them before.
Farin says
How funny that I’m cleaning out my fridge right now and I have leftover chickpeas, half a red onion, kale, figs and tomatoes! I googled “fig and tomato recipe” and voila!