Name: Fig caprese salad
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces buffalo mozzarella; 16 ounces fresh figs (tiger figs or adriatic figs), halved or quartered if large; 1/4 cup basil leaves; 1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper; 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt; 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

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This fig caprese salad showcases how jammy, sweet figs, creamy mozzarella, and herby basil create a symphony of flavor on a plate.

a plate of fig caprese salad with fresh figs, mozzarella, and basil leaves

When I saw the fig caprese salad recipe on Bon Appetit, I knew it was a must try. The traditional caprese salad is Italian in origin and consists of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil leaves, and seasoned with salt and olive oil. For the fig caprese salad, as the name implied, tomatoes are substituted with figs. With just a handful ingredients, you can throw together this fuss-free salad in just a few minutes and the result is to die for!

cutting board with knife and fresh figs, a basket of figs, plate of mozzarella, plate of basil, plate of salt, and bowl of olive oil

Ingredient note

Figs: for my salad, I used a combination of tiger figs and Adriatic figs. Other varieties that are sweet and perfect for salad include Black Mission figs and Kadota figs. Pick figs that are soft to touch as they tend to be ripe and sweet. A very firm fig is not ripe and will not ripen further.

Mozzarella: my favorite mozzarella is mozzarella di bufala. It has a wonderful soft, semi-elastic texture. Simply tear up a large ball of mozzarella into bite size pieces. If you can’t find mozzarella, burrata makes a wonderful substitute.

Olive oil: Look for an excellent cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil with a bit of a bite.

a plate of fig caprese salad with fresh figs, mozzarella, and basil leaves and a plate of salt

Jammy, sweet figs, creamy mozzarella, and herby basil create a symphony of flavor. This fig caprese salad is incredibly quick and simple to make and you'll have a delicious meal in less than 5 minutes. While figs are in season, I will be making this salad from summer until fall.

close up of fig caprese salad with fresh figs, mozzarella, and basil leaves

For more salad inspiration check these recipes: fig tomato arugula salad, nectarine burrata salad, avocado Caprese salad, fig watercress goat cheese salad, tomato fig peach prosciutto burrata salad.