A quick and easy salad made with fresh figs.
Ingredients:
2 small red onions – sliced in wide strips
¼ cup roasted hazelnuts (walnuts or almonds also work well)
Large bunch of lettuce (can be romaine or other salad greens) leaves torn roughly
2 cups of watercress or arugula
6 ripe fresh figs
Balsamic vinegar to taste – fig balsamic is heavenly with this recipe. If it is not readily available where you live, you can order it online from The Olive Tap in Long Grove, IL.
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the oven to 4000. Line two roasting pans with parchment paper. Place the hazelnuts on one roasting tray and the sliced onions on the other. Roast for 20 minutes turning the nuts and onions once or twice as needed to roast evenly. Remove pans from the oven and allow to cool. Break the roasted hazelnuts with the side of a big knife. (This is easier than trying to slice them in half.)
Assemble the salad on four individual plates. Mix the salad greens together and place a few on each plate. Cut the figs lengthways into four or six pieces. Place a few fig pieces and some roasted onion on the leaves. Top with more greens and continue with the remaining fig and onion. You want to build up the salad into a small pyramid.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the salad and finish with a scattering of toasted hazelnuts.
Elegant, delicious and healthy!
