Villaggio House Salad ③ Recipe

Toast and coat

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl mix brown sugar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, cinnamon and salt. Toss walnuts with melted butter or oil to coat, then add the sugar-spice mix and stir until evenly coated. Spread walnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake for 8–10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until nuts are fragrant and glossy and the coating is set. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let cool on the sheet — the coating will crisp as they cool. Break apart any clusters once cool.

Roast figs (if using fresh)

If using fresh figs, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place fig quarters on a small baking sheet, drizzle lightly with 1 tsp olive oil and roast 8–10 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized. If using dried figs, skip roasting and proceed to next step.

Blend vinaigrette

Place roasted (or dried) figs, olive oil, sherry vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If the vinaigrette is too thick, add warm water 1 tsp at a time (up to 1 tbsp) to loosen to a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust salt, acidity (more vinegar) or sweetness (more honey) as needed.

Transfer vinaigrette to a jar and refrigerate if not using immediately. Bring to room temperature and shake well before dressing the salad.

Place the mixed salad greens into a large bowl and gently toss to aerate the leaves.

Scatter the dried cherries evenly over the greens.

Crumble the goat cheese into small chunks and distribute over the salad.

Add the cooled spiced walnuts to the salad.

If using fresh figs as garnish, arrange the halved figs on top.

Dress and finish

Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of the roasted fig vinaigrette over the salad (start with less; you can add more to taste). Gently toss or use tongs to combine so all ingredients are lightly coated. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.