In my opinion, salads are only as good as their dressing. Texture falls very close behind, so let's chat there first. Knowing that this is a fig balsamic base, I'm expecting a little sweetness to balance the sourness. To cater to this, I added maple syrup to the dressing and carried that flavor over to the toppings by way of SKORDO Sugar Hut Pepper. What loves Sugar Hut Pepper? Sweet Potatoes. What loves Sweet Potatoes? Brussel Sprouts. I played this game around the produce aisle. However, this is a very adaptable salad and could absolutely be a quick way to elevate some leftovers.
For my salad I diced and roasted brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans with SKORDO Sugar Hut Pepper + olive oil until charred. Then I seared/basted beautiful oyster mushrooms until buttery + crisp and finished with Cyprus Flaked Sea Salt. Next, I seared some zucchini slices cooked some farro in mushroom broth. Finally, I thinly sliced a raw beet + cracked open a pomegranate. (I clean my pomegranates on an as needed basis, so i only worried about 1/4 of it right now to keep it hassle free.) I decided on a crunchy base of red kale, tuscan kale, and some roughly torn mint leaves. I tossed everything together when it was room temp, drizzled some Fig Balsamic Dressing + topped with slivered almonds.
It. Was. Delicious. Other things I'd bring to the winter salad party next time: blood orange, shaved brussels, cashews, edamame, fresh figs, dried blueberries. I hope to see your variations through #SKORDOFlavors on Instagram!
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Kouzini fig balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoons dijon
- 1/2 shallot, finely diced
- salt
- pepper
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a jar with a lid. (Or a blender if you don't want to chop your shallot!)
- Shake until combined. Season to taste.
- Drizzle over your salad or keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
