Apricot, Fregola and Soft Goat's Cheese Salad
An apricot fregola salad pairs warm, nutty fregola with ripe apricots, soft goat's cheese and peppery watercress, all brought together with a bright clementine dressing. It takes about 25 minutes and serves two as a light main or four as a side, with nothing to cook beyond the fregola itself.
Fregola is a toasted Sardinian pasta with a gentle bite that soaks up dressing like a grain, which is what lets it carry a salad rather than sit heavy like a bowl of pasta. Dress it while it is still warm so it drinks in the clementine and balsamic, and keep the apricots ripe but firm so they hold their shape instead of collapsing into the fregola.
Apricot, Fregola and Soft Goat's Cheese Salad
Warm, nutty fregola tossed with ripe apricots, soft goat's cheese, peppery watercress and mint, brought together with a bright clementine and white balsamic dressing. A fresh, substantial summer salad that comes together in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 120g fregola
- 500ml vegetable stock or water
- 4 ripe but firm apricots, halved and stoned
- 100g soft goat's cheese
- 60g watercress
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped (optional)
- 3 tbsp good quality olive oil
- Juice and zest of 2 clementines
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Put the goat's cheese in the freezer for about 20 minutes so it firms up enough to crumble cleanly. Do this first, then get on with the rest.
- Put the fregola in a pan, pour in the stock or water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender with a slight bite. Drain off any excess liquid, fluff with a fork and leave to cool a little.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, white balsamic, and the clementine juice and zest with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Taste: it should be sharp enough to cut the sweetness of the apricots and the richness of the cheese. Set aside.
- Halve and stone the apricots, then slice each half into 3 or 4 segments.
- Toss the warm fregola with the watercress, mint, apricots, most of the crumbled goat's cheese and most of the dressing.
- Spoon over the last of the dressing, crumble over the remaining goat's cheese and scatter with the pistachios, if using. Serve while the fregola is still slightly warm.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
605Protein
17 gSugar
15 gCarbs
62 gFat
32 gApproximate values per serving
Ingredient Notes
Fregola
A toasted semolina pasta from Sardinia, somewhere between giant couscous and a small pasta, with a nutty flavour and a bite that holds up in a salad. Giant couscous, pearl couscous or orzo all stand in if you cannot find it, though you lose a little of the toasty character.
Apricots
Ripe but still firm is the sweet spot. Too soft and they break down as you toss; underripe and they stay dry and sharp. Good apricots with a little give hold their shape and bring just enough sweetness to play off the salty cheese and the peppery leaves.
Soft goat's cheese
A fresh, soft goat's cheese is what you want, crumbled in for tang and richness. Twenty minutes in the freezer firms it up just enough to crumble in clean pieces rather than smearing, which keeps the salad looking sharp rather than muddy.
Watercress and mint
Watercress brings a peppery bite that stands up to the richness; rocket works the same way if that is what you have. The mint keeps everything fresh and lifts the apricots, so chop it just before it goes in.
Clementine and white balsamic
The dressing leans on clementine for a soft, sweet citrus and white balsamic for sharpness, which together cut the cheese without staining the salad the way dark balsamic would. Orange works in place of clementine but is sharper so taste the dressing before adding the balsamic.
Pistachios
Optional, but they add colour and a welcome crunch against the soft cheese and fruit. Toast them briefly first if you want more of their flavour.
Kitchen Notes
Dress the fregola warm
Warm fregola takes on dressing far better than cold, soaking up the clementine and balsamic as it sits. Let it cool just enough that it does not melt the cheese, then toss.
Freeze the cheese to crumble it
Soft goat's cheese smears when you try to crumble it at room temperature. A short spell in the freezer firms it enough to break into clean pieces that hold their shape through tossing.
Dress in two stages
Toss most of the dressing and cheese through, then finish with the rest on top. It keeps the salad looking fresh and generous rather than flattened, and means every plate gets a bit of everything.
Balance the dressing
Taste before it goes on. It should be sharp enough to cut the sweetness of the apricots and the richness of the cheese, so add a little more balsamic or a pinch of salt if it falls flat.
Griddle the apricots (optional)
For a deeper, jammier flavour, toss the apricot segments in a little oil and give them a minute or two cut-side down in a hot frying pan before they go in. Keep them firm enough to still hold their shape.
Variations
Swap the grain
Giant couscous, pearl couscous or orzo all work in place of fregola. For a gluten-free version, use cooked quinoa or a gluten-free grain, though the texture changes.
Change the cheese
Feta gives a saltier, firmer crumble, ricotta salata a milder one, and a torn ball of burrata or mozzarella turns it into something richer for a starter.
Other stone fruit
Peaches or nectarines stand in for apricots as the summer goes on.
Different citrus
Orange or blood orange in place of clementine shifts the dressing sharper or deeper. A little lemon does the same if you want more edge.
Make it a bigger main
Add griddled chicken, cold roast lamb or a few slices of prosciutto to turn it from a light main into a fuller plate.
Serving Suggestions
How to serve
Serve it while the fregola is still slightly warm, piled onto a platter or into shallow bowls, with the last of the cheese and pistachios on top.
What to serve alongside
It holds its own as a light main, but works just as well as a side to grilled chicken, lamb or fish, or as part of a summer spread with flatbreads and a few other salads.
FAQ
What is fregola?
Fregola is a toasted semolina pasta from Sardinia, rolled into small beads and dried. It has a nutty flavour and a firm bite, closer to a grain than to soft pasta, which is what makes it good in salads.
What can I use instead of fregola?
Giant couscous, pearl couscous or orzo are the closest swaps. Cooked quinoa works for a gluten-free version, though the texture is softer.
Is this salad gluten free?
Not as written, since fregola is made from wheat semolina. Swap in cooked quinoa or a gluten-free grain and it can be.
Can I make it ahead?
Cook the fregola and make the dressing ahead, but assemble just before serving so the leaves stay crisp and the apricots hold their shape. Dressed and left to sit, the salad softens.
Why freeze the goat's cheese?
It firms the cheese just enough to crumble into clean pieces instead of smearing, so the salad looks sharp and every forkful gets a distinct bit of cheese.
Can I use a different cheese?
Yes. Feta gives a saltier, firmer crumble, ricotta salata a milder one, and burrata a richer, creamier finish for a starter.
