Plant-Based Oil-Free Salad with Carrots, Walnuts, and a Sweet Fig Dressing
Sweet dried figs, peppery arugula, and toasted walnuts create a delicious mixture of flavors and textures in this easy salad recipe. The oil-free balsamic dressing is a must-have for your healthy, plant-based repertoire.
- Easy
- Servings: 4
- Ready In: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups salad + 1 ½ cups dressing
Serve with Asparagus Tarragon Pea Soup, Italian Winter Vegetable Barley Soup, or Farro Italian Vegetable Soup for a hearty dinner.
Naturally Sweet, Oil-Free Calimyrna Fig Dressing
Calimyrna figs have a lighter, golden-brown skin than their dried counterparts, Mission Figs. They have a gooey texture and naturally sweet flavor. Originally grown in Turkey, they may also be called Turkish figs or Smyrna figs. In fact, the name “Calimyrna” comes from the combination of California + Smyrna. Most of the ones we buy in the US come from California
How Can I use Calimyrna Figs?
Figs have natural, whole foods sweetness. As with any fruit, figs have healthy fiber and can be used for adding flavor to any plant-based recipe.
You can use just like dried dates: Add to salad dressing, oatmeal, smoothies, or anywhere you want a pop of natural sweetness. They’re also delicious on their own! Enjoy as as whole foods, plant-based sweet snack!
First, though, you’ll want to cut off the bit of stem at the tip. You can also soak the figs in warm water to help soften them. Soaked figs work great for jams, jelly, or tofu pudding.
Besides this salad dressing, I also love adding figs to creamy Brown Rice Pudding, Purple Sticky Pudding, or creamy oatmeal. Plus, dried figs love soaking up liquid. I use them in Poached Pears and Figs to soak up the flavors of red wine.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Toasting Nuts: Toasting the chopped walnuts in this recipe is a healthy way to add rich, nutty flavor, without extra calories. The best way to toast nuts is oil-free: spread them on a sheet pan and place in a 350F oven until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. You can toast a big batch and then freeze extras for future meals.
Get Your Greens: You can use any salad greens for this recipe. If you’re not a fan of the peppery flavor of arugula, baby spinach is a bit sweeter. Baby kale, mesclun mix, or other baby greens would also work.
Make it Raw: For a raw version of this, skip the step of toasting the walnuts.
Extra Dressing: Make a big batch of the dressing and freeze extras. Besides salads, it also works great over other vegetables like fresh-sliced tomatoes, roasted mushrooms, or grilled onions.
Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, and oil is one of the biggest culprits. This oil-free dressing uses the healthy fat of whole walnuts for a rich, creamy flavor. The walnuts have other key nutrients (like calcium and iron) while oil is just fat.
Fresh Calimyrna figs are light green on the outside. When they dry, they turn tan. 
Balsamic vinegar adds a bright pop of flavor to the dressing. Use a low-acid, good-quality balsamic for milder flavor 
Arugula Salad with Walnut Fig Balsamic Dressing – Healthy, Plant-Based, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free Raw Vegan Winter Recipe from Plants-Rule
Watch to Learn More:
Rainbow Carrot Walnut Arugula Salad with Oil-Free Fig Dressing
Ingredients
Oil-Free Fig Walnut Balsamic Dressing
- ¼ cup 1 ounce chopped walnuts
- 4 dried Calimyrna figs
- 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ cup water as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Arugula Walnut Salad
- ½ cup 2 ounces chopped walnuts
- 1 bunch rainbow carrots
- 1 5-ounce container Baby Arugula
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- To make the Fig Walnut Balsamic Dressing: Place all of the walnuts (the total ¾ cup that you’ll need for both the dressing and the salad) in a baking dish. Toast in the oven until golden brown, 7-8 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the walnuts for the salad. Transfer the remaining ½ cup walnuts to a high-speed blender. Add the figs, balsamic vinegar, water, salt, and pepper. Puree. Add more water, as needed, to get a smooth, pourable consistency. Taste to adjust seasoning. Set aside.
- While the walnuts toast, you can prepare you salad ingredients. Peel the carrots and cut in ¼-inch thick half-moon slices. Wash the arugula, if needed.
- To make the Arugula Walnut Salad with Fig Walnut Balsamic Dressing: In a large bowl, combine the arugula, sliced carrots, ¼ cup toasted walnuts, and the Fig Walnut Balsamic Dressing. Toss well, evenly coating all of the arugula with the dressing. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 180 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 10 g | 16 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 5 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 7 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 141 mg | 6 % |
| Potassium 527 mg | 15 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 21 g | 7 % |
| Dietary Fiber 5 g | 18 % |
| Sugars 13 g | |
| Protein 4 g | 9 % |
| Vitamin A | 269 % |
| Vitamin C | 15 % |
| Calcium | 12 % |
| Iron | 9 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
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For the fig dressing, is it 1/4 cup walnuts or 1/2 cup walnuts? Yor ingredients list says 1/4 but your instructions say 1/2. Can you clarify? Thank you 😊
1/2 cup of the walnuts get pureed into the dressing. The other 1/4 cup gets tossed in with the salad (for some extra crunch). You use a total of 3/4 cups (3 ounces) walnuts for the whole recipe