This fall fig salad with fig balsamic dressing features fresh greens, creamy cheese, crunchy roasted soybeans, roasted carrots, and homemade fig balsamic dressing! So many different flavors, textures, and taste make this salad the furthest thing from boring.

Two savory recipes in a row! Have you made this homemade fig balsamic dressing yet? I hope so, because it’s the star of this recipe. Seriously can’t get over how creamy it is with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy!

I knew as soon as I found fresh figs that they would be fun to feature in a salad. I love having giant salads for easy lunches to pack for work during the week. But as I’ve mentioned, salads must be filling and include protein, fats, and carbohydrates to be filling and satisfying! I love having a ton of different textures in salads too (creamy, crunchy, etc.). This salad fits all of these requirements, and it’s so easy to prepare!

Substitution Ideas

Salad Greens

This salad is extremely adaptable (as most salads are!) to your preferences and what you have on hand at home. Any salad green will do: spinach, arugula, spring mix, kale, romaine, etc. I used spring mix since that’s what I had on hand at home!

Cheese Options

I really wanted to use halloumi cheese on this salad, but alas couldn’t find it ANYWHERE. I’ve been wanting to try fried halloumi cheese with a fruit on a salad…just sounds heavenly! But I used Havarti instead. Next time I honestly think I’ll stick with my beloved feta. I also bought an apple cheddar cheese that sounds delicious with this salad (trying new cheeses is pretty much a hobby of mine ?). Point is, any type of cheese will work here!

Protein Ideas

I wasn’t in the mood to cook chicken when I was prepping these salads, so I went with roasted soybeans (SO cheap, and so easy!). Love how much fiber and protein these have. Chickpeas would also be a great idea, or hard-boiled eggs, leftover chicken, turkey, etc.

Roasted Veggies

I was SO excited to use the carrots that I grew in our garden for this salad! This was my first year growing carrots in our garden, and while they didn’t yield much…what we did have were so good. Roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, roasted beets, or roasted brussels sprouts also would be fun fall produce ideas for this salad!

Fresh Figs with Fig Balsamic Dressing

Of course, you can’t really have a fig salad without the figs! If you don’t have fresh (which you should definitely try sometime!), chopped dried figs would work for this salad. Or even dried cranberries, diced dates, etc.