Caramelized Fig Salad with Prosciutto and Blue Cheese

Celebrating summer with sweet an easy-to-make caramelized fig salad with salty prosciutto, peppery arugula, creamy blue cheese, and crunchy hazelnuts to hit all sorts of flavors and textures and create a stunningly colorful presentation!

Why this Recipe Works

• Caramelizing the figs bring out their natural sweetness, adding another level of deliciousness without a lot of extra effort!
• Leave no dressing behind! We make very good use of every last drop, using it to marinate the figs and again on the salad.
• The peppery bitter arugula, the salty cheese, and the richness of prosciutto and hazelnuts nicely balance the sweet figs.
• There’s minimal ingredients and prep work, making for very easy cooking!
• Eat no more boring salads! There’s a whole wide range of flavors and textures to ensure we’re not bringing a dull salad into our life.

Serve this salad as an appetizer or even as the main course for a lighter summer meal.

Figs come in all sorts of colors and varieties… and any kind or even a combo will work with this salad.

How to Make this Salad

Whisk dressing, cut figs, toss with dressing and roast them, toss arugula and most of the basil with dressing, arrange prosciutto and figs on top of arugula, scatter with blue cheese, hazelnuts and the remaining basil and you’re done! Drizzle any remaining juices from the caramelized fig tray on top too, only if ya wanna.

I love serving this salad on a tray or shallow bowl and have wayyyyy too much fun arranging it! It looks so dreamy to artistically and strategically place the figs and prosciutto in little pockets of arugula. Or just throw it all together and call it an easy summer day!

Cooks Tips

• If blue cheese is too strong for ya, try subbing Manchego cheese instead.
• If you’re dairy free, omit the cheese!
• If you’re meat free, omit the prosciutto!
• To chiffonade fresh basil: stack a bunch of similar sized leaves together, roll them into a cigar like shape, and slice thinly.
• Make extra caramelized figs to enjoy as snacks, from breakfast to dessert.
• Get the very best of each ingredient you can find!

Stoked on more summer salad recipes? I got YOU with LOTS! Check out my:

• Summer Salad Ideas
• Strawberry Burrata Panzanella with Basil and Little Gems
• Stone Fruit & Crispy Prosciutto Salad
• Stone Fruit Salad with Burrata 
• Plum & Cucumber Salad with Roasted Ginger Vinaigrette

Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #chefdanielagerson. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

Let's make waves in the kitchen!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Caramelized Fig & Prosciutto Salad

Celebrating summer with sweet an easy-to-make caramelized fig salad with salty prosciutto, peppery arugula, creamy blue cheese, and crunchy hazelnuts to hit all sorts of flavors and textures and create a stunningly colorful presentation!

Prep Time18 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Californian

Servings: 6

Author: Daniela Gerson

Ingredients

• 1 pint figs about .5 figs, generally about 6-9
• 5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 1 tablespoon balsamic
• 1 lemon zest & juice, about 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon shallots minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• kosher salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 bag arugula 7 oz
• 1/2 cup basil chiffonade, divided
• 3 oz prosciutto
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts roughly chopped
• 2.5 oz crumbled blue cheese such as Roquefort, if blue cheese is not your thang sub shaved manchego
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. 
• Whisk together olive oil, balsamic, lemon, honey, shallots, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Add cut figs to olive oil mixture, gently toss, and let marinade for 30min.
• Remove the figs from the bowl (keeping the marinade) and arrange them snugly inside a small baking tray, cut side facing up. Sprinkle the figs with sugar and roast in the oven for 12 min.
• Give the marinade a quick whisk and toss with the arugula, ¾ of the basil, salt and pepper. Toss the arugula with the marinade (it should be enough).
• Arrange the prosciutto and figs on top on the arugula.
• Scatter the blue cheese and hazelnuts on the salad.
• Top with the remaining basil.
• If there are any juices left inside the caramelized fig tray, spoon it all on the very top. Enjoy!

Notes

• If blue cheese is too strong for ya, try subbing Manchego cheese instead.
• If you’re dairy free, omit the cheese!
• If you’re meat free, omit the prosciutto!
• To chiffonade fresh basil: stack a bunch of similar sized leaves together, roll them into a cigar like shape, and slice thinly.
• Make extra caramelized figs to enjoy as snacks, from breakfast to dessert.
• Get the very best of each ingredient you can find!