Fig, Strawberry, and Toasted Hazelnut Salad with Fig Vinaigrette
Author: 
Recipe type: salad
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3
 
Ingredients
For the dressing:
  • 4 small ripe figs, stemmed (about 3 oz.)
  • 3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil or other mild natural vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  • 1 small shallot (about 1 Tbsp. minced), or equivalent amount of minced red onion
  • 1 small clove garlic (about 1 tsp. minced)
For the salad:
  • 8 oz. salad greens (I used romaine this time, but mixed baby greens would be good, too)
  • 8 oz. stemmed, quartered figs
  • ¼ cup minced red onion
  • 4 oz. stemmed, sliced strawberries
  • 1½ oz. (1/3 cup) toasted, chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
For the dressing:
  1. Put figs, oil, champagne vinegar, and water in blender, blend.
  2. Peel and mince shallot (or red onion) and garlic.
  3. Combine blended dressing with minced shallot and garlic.
For the salad:
  1. Wash, spin, and shred salad greens.
  2. Stem and quarter figs.
  3. Stem, trim, and slice strawberries.
  4. Mince red onion.
  5. Dry-toast hazelnuts over a medium flame, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until they start to become fragrant and brown a little.
  6. Cool hazelnuts. I used the thin-skinned, oblong DuChilly hazelnuts which do not need to be skinned. For regular round hazelnuts you may need to rub off the skins using a kitchen cloth.
  7. Chop hazelnuts.
  8. Dress greens with the fig viniagrette.
  9. Arrange greens on dinner plate with red onion, strawberries, figs, and chopped hazelnuts on top.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2013/10/05/fig-strawberry-toasted-hazelnut-salad-fig-vinaigrette/