This fresh fig and feta salad combines salty and sweet flavours brilliantly into a delicious meal. The addition of a balsamic honey dressing and the slightly sour taste of pomegranate seeds gives this salad an even bigger bouquet of flavours.

Fresh fig and feta salad with pomegranate and basil leave with honey balsamic dressing

I always try to make a light, simple and healthy meal for lunch. Well, it doesn’t always work out, but at least I try to eat light at mid day. Fresh figs are a very versatile fruit that can be combined with various recipes to make a quick and easy meal, like this blue cheese and fig bruschetta. It’s clear that the beautiful sweet flavour of fresh figs pair really well with the saltiness of the cheese. Adding a few more ingredients makes this salad a great, light meal for an easy and healthy weekday lunch.

feta fig salad with pomegranate arils and basil leaves

How to remove pomegranate seeds

Pomegranates not only look photogenic, but they also taste really good. I like the sweet and sour taste of the fruit, flavours that take me back to my holidays around the Mediterranean sea. The only drawback from eating it more regularly, I must admit, is that removing the arils or seeds can be a bit messy and time consuming. I used to first peel the skin off and one by one pick the arils from the white membranes and rind. Oh, what did I know back then.

In the meantime, I discovered a much easier way to seed pomegranates. It is still a bit messy but it doesn’t take up a full hour or so to remove the seeds. So what is this technique to seed pomegranates?

Wash the pomegranate well with water and with a sharp knife, slice the fruit horizontally in half.
With your thumb and forefinger, hold the pomegranate half with the cut side down over a bowl.
Now gently tap with a wooden spoon or spatula on the top surface of the pomegranate and the arils will come loose and fall in to the bowl. If tapping gently doesn’t work, try tapping slightly harder until all seeds are removed.

Now, that wasn’t so hard, right? But still slightly messy though.

Feta and fig salad with pomegranate balsamic honey dressing

Fresh fig and feta cheese salad ingredients

Fresh figs: Only use ripe figs, which are deep red on the inside and have a beautifully sweet flavour.
Feta cheese: It adds the saltiness required to balance the sweet flavour of the figs and acidity of the honey balsamic vinegar dressing. Use the type of feta cheese you prefer.
Pomegranate: Adding some pomegranate seeds brings extra crunchiness to this salad as well as a lovely sour taste
Basil leaves: Use a few leaves to bring a fresh and peppery aroma to this fig salad recipe.
Flakes of almonds: (Optional) Add some toasted almond flakes to give this salad extra texture.
Balsamic honey dressing: This dressing made with olive oil pairs perfectly with the flavours of feta cheese and fresh figs. It brings this salad together very nicely.
Black pepper: Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

long view of almond pomegranate salad with fresh fig and feta

Feta cheese and fig salad with pomegranate

Note: All the exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

You will be really surprised how fast and easy this salad comes together with just a handful of ingredients. This fresh fig salad with feta will be on the table in no time.

Wash the figs well and slice thinly, then arrange the slices neatly on a plate. Use one small plate per person, or a big plate to share. With your fingers, crumble and sprinkle the feta cheese on top together with the pomegranate arils. Add chopped fresh basil leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper. Optionally, toast a few almond flakes in a dry pan on a light heat and sprinkle those on top too.

To make the balsamic honey dressing, take a small bowl and combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey (or maple syrup) and whisk well. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Fresh fig and feta salad with flaky almonds toasted and pomegranates

Interested in more easy salad recipes?

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