Arugula Fig Salad is the perfect way to enjoy the sweetness of ripe summer figs. We paired this gorgeous salad with creamy Gorgonzola and peppery arugula, then finished it with a subtle hint of orange blossom water. It's a beautiful side dish that will make a statement at any summer gathering.

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A close up of Arugula fig salad on a white plate.

When it comes to summer salads, they don't get much better than this fresh fig and arugula salad. It's a beautiful combination of flavours and textures that will have your taste buds singing.

Sweet figs are the star of this show, and when they're paired with peppery arugula and creamy Gorgonzola, you have a side dish that's sure to impress.

Adding a hint of fragrant orange blossom adds a subtle sweetness to the salad that helps to tie all the flavours together.

Looking for more gourmet salad inspiration? Try our Persian Watermelon Salad or, for some cool weather magic, try our Radicchio and Pear Salad.

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Why Make This Salad?
Ingredients and Substitutions
Variations
You Will Need
How to Make It
Serving Suggestions
Tips and Questions
Recipe Card

Why Make This Salad?

This arugula blue cheese salad with figs is nothing short of amazing!

The flavours and textures are so perfectly balanced - sweet summer figs, peppery arugula, creamy Gorgonzola, and crunchy pistachios drizzled with a fragrant orange blossom vinaigrette.
It's super convenient to make ahead of time. Assemble the salad, store it in the fridge and top it with dressing just before serving.
It's beautiful, vibrant, and tempting - a perfect salad for special occasions and gatherings.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Arugula or Rocket - forms the base of this salad and adds a nice peppery bite, and suits the figs beautifully. However, feel free to swap it for spinach, a mesclun/spring mix or any soft lettuce varieties such as butter/Bibb/Boston or oak leaf lettuce.
Fresh Figs - use whatever you find, brown Turkey, black mission, black or white Genoa or white Adriatic. You can swap the figs for apples or pears; they both pair well with Gorgonzola.
Gorgonzola - instead, try Roquefort, Stilton, Blue Castello, goat's cheese, sharp-tasting parmesan cheese, or even a Cretan graviera cheese if you don't want to use blue cheese.
Pistachios - to add some crunch, swap for some toasted pecans or walnuts.
The dressing - we have whipped up a fragrant orange blossom dressing that works beautifully with the figs, but you can certainly swap for a simple balsamic vinaigrette or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Variations

One reason I love this fig arugula salad is that it’s easily adapted to suit your tastes and your pantry.

Make it A Meal

Feed a Crowd

Vegan or Dairy-free

Nut-Free

Make it a meal by adding some grilled chicken, crispy tofu or my favourite prosciutto; it makes a perfect light lunch.

Bulk it up by adding some grains such as cooked quinoa, freekeh or pearl barley.

Make it vegan or dairy-free by leaving out the cheese or using a nut cheese instead.

Make It nut-free by swapping the pistachios for some seeds like pepita or sunflower seeds.

You Will Need

Labelled ingredients needed to make arugula fig salad.

How to Make It

Step 1 - Prepare Your Ingredients

Wash your arugula (rocket) to get rid of any dirt and debris. Gently remove any damaged or wilted leaves, then give it a good shake.

After that, you can either pat it dry with a towel or spin it in a salad spinner to get rid of any excess water.

Figs are delicate - so be sure to handle them with care. Give them a quick rinse under cold running water, gently pat them dry, cut off any stems or damaged parts, and cut them into quarters.

Gorgonzola is best diced into small cubes while it's still cool from the fridge - otherwise, it will be too soft to handle.

Washing rocket or arugula in a colander under running cold water in the sink.

^{WASH ARUGULA/ROCKET}

Rocket, arugula leaves in a salad spinner.

^{EITHER PAT OR SPIN DRY}

Aerial view of hands trimming figs on a wooden board.

^{WASH AND TRIM FIGS}

Halving figs with a knife on a wooden board.

^{SLICE THEM IN HALF}

Hands quartering figs with a knife on a wooden board.

^{QUARTER FIGS}

Close-up of a ride knife dicing gorgonzola on a wooden board.

^{DICE CHEESE WHEN COLD}

Step 2 - Shake-up the Dressing

Add the dressing ingredients to a glass jar, whether you use 1 or 2 tablespoons of orange blossom water will depend on the strength of your orange blossom water and your taste.

Start with 1 tablespoon taste and then add ½ tablespoon until you can just taste a hint of orange blossom in your dressing.

Shake until emulsified (well combined).

Orange blossom dressing ingredients in a glass jar.

^{DRESSING INGREDIENTS IN JAR}

Shaken orange blossom dressing in a glass jar.

^{SHAKE DRESSING TO COMBINE}

Step 3 - Assemble the Salad

Arrange your arugula/rocket in a shallow salad bowl and top it with the figs.

If you're serving it right away, pour the dressing over the salad. Otherwise, place it in a small jug to serve on the side.

Add the Gorgonzola and scatter the crushed pistachios on top for a finishing touch.

Don't worry about tossing this salad since you don't want to damage those beautiful figs. Serve it immediately and enjoy!

^{ARRANGE ARUGULA ON A PLATTER}

Adding figs to arugula on a white plate.

_{ADD THE CUT FIGS}

Adding diced gorgonzola to arugula fig salad.

^{ADD THE DICED GORGONZOLA}

Sprinkling pistachios on top of arugula fig salad.

^{SPRINKLE THE PISTACHIOS ON TOP}

Arugula Fig Salad in a white bowl with arugula, halved figs and dressing on the side.

^{SERVE AND ENJOY!}

Serving Suggestions

This hearty salad is a delicious and filling way to take advantage of the freshness of figs this summer!

Served with some fresh bread, it can standalone as a light lunch or dinner, as it is quite substantial and filling. It’s great as a topping for bruschetta.

For a more filling option, you could pair this salad with grilled chicken or a whole baked fish such as salmon or snapper. For die-hard carnivores, it goes great, with a well-cooked steak or baked pork chops.

An elegant salad to serve at your next dinner party. Try it with a Herb crusted roast chicken or with a Festive Porchetta.

It makes a great appetizer served on individual plates with some prosciutto or as an hors d'oeuvres alongside a charcuterie board.

This arugula fig salad is a vibrant and tasty summer dish that's sure to be a hit!

Tips and Questions

What is Gorgonzola?

Gorgonzola is a veined blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a "bite" from its blue veining.

They have made it for centuries in Gorgonzola, an Italian city in Milan, where it also gets its name.

Like other Italian ingredients such as Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and Parmesan Reggiano, Gorgonzola enjoys Protected Geographical Status. This means they can only produce it in certain provinces in Italy.

How to choose figs?

Once picked, figs don't ripen any further, and their perishable, fragile nature makes them pricey.

To ensure you choose a good one, go for fruit that feels heavy, that's unbruised and unmarked.

Keep them in the fridge but try to eat them as soon as you can.

Can I use dried figs?

Yes, you can use dried figs, but you will need to plump them up.

To rehydrate your figs, place them in a bowl, cover them with boiling water, soak them for 15 minutes and then strain them.

They will turn plump and juicy.

Can you make fig arugula salad ahead of time?

Once this salad has been dressed then, it really needs to be eaten straight away.

To save time, assemble the salad without the dressing and then pour over the dressing just before serving.

You could also make the dressing the day before and keep it in a glass jar in the fridge.

To make it packable for picnics, and potlucks, prepare all parts of the salad and keep them in separate containers in the fridge, then assemble it just before you serve.

For your weekday lunches, assemble the salad in a container and keep the dressing in a separate one so you can pour it over the salad just before you're ready to eat.

How to store the leftover salad.

Pop any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in your fridge. You can still enjoy it the following day, even though the arugula will be wilted.

Arugula Fig Salad with Blue Cheese