7 Fig Recipes to Make the Most of Summer’s Favourite Fruit
Sweet, juicy figs are jam-packed with potassium, antioxidants and fibre. Here are the best fig recipes to add to your summer menu.
The fig has a long-standing history as a symbol of female sexuality. Its pink flesh and little seeds are suggestive reminders of reproductive lady parts, and it’s been titled the unofficial understudy of the apple in the classic Adam and Eve tale. Even without its romantic past, a ripe fig is undeniable food porn. Plus, if you add figs to pretty much any recipe it makes your dish look profesh.
Fresh figs are loaded with a sweet, jammy flavour and tiny seeds that crackle like Pop Rocks on the tongue, with their flesh surrounded by a thin, edible skin. And you can boost a basic piece of toast with some ricotta, herbs and beautifully sliced figs.
With an impressive three grams of fibre and only 74 calories in two medium figs, they’re a satisfying way to promote healthy regularity and manage your weight.
But wait, the nutritional news gets better:
One serving of figs provides seven percent of your daily heart-healthy potassium needs, plus powerful phenolic antioxidants that may help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease.
While we’re all about fresh when figs are in season between early summer and early fall, dried figs shouldn’t be overlooked. Dried figs may be higher in calories and natural sugars, but early research suggests that they may beat their fresh counterparts in the antioxidant department.
To up your game with your food insta posts, we’ve rounded up our favourite fig recipes.
(Related: 11 In-Season Fruits to Enjoy This Summer)
Panna Cotta with Spiced Vanilla Figs
Panna cotta is cool and creamy and makes the perfect canvas to show off spiced figs.
Low-Cal Fig Chia Pudding
Healthy and totally Instagrammable, this fig chia pudding is #healthfoodgoals. It’s actually easy to make if you have the time to chill.
Recipe: Fig Chia Pudding Breakfast Bowl
Caramelized Onion and Fig Pita Pizza
Skip the pepperoni and triple cheese. Up your pizza game by choosing unexpected ingredients, like fig and chèvre.
Recipe: Onion, Arugula and Fig Pizza
Walnut, Prosciutto and Fig Amuse-Bouche
For a simple amuse-bouche, these walnut, prosciutto and fig apps are delicious and look stunning on a platter.
Fig and Prosciutto Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
This salad goes perfectly with buttered hazelnut or walnut bread, or other dense breads.
Recipe: Fig and Prosciutto Salad
Honey-Roasted Ricotta with Figs and Grapes
This is ideal as an antipasto or an alternative to a rich dessert; serve it with flatbread crackers. It’s so fresh and flavourful you don’t need a large helping.
Recipe: Honey Roasted Ricotta with Figs and Grapes Appetizer
Grape & Fig Wine-Soaked Compote
Sweet, boozy and herbaceous, this simple wine-soaked compote is a perfect accompaniment to a melty brie or a sharp Parm.
Recipe: Grape, Marsala & Fig Compote
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