Dairy Free Fig & Zucchini Noodle Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
This salad is a stunning collision of sweet, peppery, and bright — fresh figs bring jammy richness, zucchini noodles keep things light and refreshing, and a handful of baby arugula adds just enough bite to balance it all out. The apple cider vinaigrette ties everything together with a warm, golden hue from turmeric and ginger, plus a touch of honey that makes the dressing feel almost luxurious without a drop of dairy in sight. Salting the zucchini and squeezing out the excess moisture before dressing is the key move here — it keeps the noodles from going watery and ensures every bite is properly coated in that tangy, fragrant vinaigrette. Torn basil and optional fresh mint layer in herbal complexity that makes this feel like something you'd order at a nice restaurant, not just throw together at home. It's naturally free of any cream, cheese, or butter, so there's no substituting or label-checking required — just whole, clean ingredients doing all the heavy lifting. Serve it immediately after tossing so the figs stay gorgeous and the noodles hold their texture.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 3 medium zucchini (about 1 ½ lb total), ends trimmed
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 8 fresh figs, quartered
- 2 cups baby arugula
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
For the vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Spiralize the zucchini into long noodles using a spiralizer, or draw a vegetable peeler lengthwise along each zucchini to create wide ribbons. Place the noodles in a colander set over the sink, toss with 1/2 tsp salt, and let stand for 10 minutes until the noodles have released some moisture and softened slightly.
- 2
While the zucchini drains, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl until the honey is fully dissolved and the dressing is uniform in color.
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