Peach Salad

Peach Salad is a sweet and savory salad with a tangy homemade salad dressing. The perfect summer salad for the hot months. 

 

Ingredients

All of these fresh peach salad ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery store.

• Spring lettuce blend – I personally love the flavor and texture of spring mix, but you can use any greens of your choice.
• Peaches – If they are fresh, make sure they are pitted and thinly sliced. check the section below for tips on picking the best peaches.
• Fresh blueberries – You can’t have a summer produce salad without throwing some plump, juicy blueberries in there!
• Goat cheese or feta cheese – Really any white, crumbly cheese will work here, but I prefer goat or feta.
• Shallot – Similar to the flavor of an onion, shallots add great flavor and texture to this summer salad.
• Candied walnuts – I’m a texture person, so I love having a variety of textures. Walnuts add a nice crunch,
• Champagne vinegar – Like white wine vinegar, it is derived from wine (sparkling in this case) and is lower in acidity with a milder flavor than other vinegars.
• Peach preserves or jam – This is used for the dressing. You can also use chopped up fresh peaches or canned peaches. You can also omit the peaches altogether, but it will just be a vinaigrette instead of a peach salad dressing. 
• Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard gives this salad dressing a little bit of a bite and tang, as well as some texture.
• Extra virgin olive oil – I like to use a good quality olive oil when making homemade dressings like this one.

Variations

There are plenty of ways for you to make this peach salad your own. Here are a few suggestions.

• Canned peaches – Canned peaches can be substituted for fresh peaches, but an even better option is frozen peach slices. If you do use canned peaches, make sure they are packed in juice and not syrup and then drain them well. 
• Grilled peaches – Grilling peaches uses their natural sugars to caramelize the outside, adds smokey flavor and of course, variation in temperature. You can find more on how to grill peaches here. 
• Lettuce – Use any kind you’d like. Arugula, baby spinach or even iceberg cut into wedges will work well.
• Veggies – Feel free to add other veggies to this salad. I’d recommend things like cherry tomatoes, bell pepper or sliced red onion.
• Nuts – not a fan of walnuts? Try something like pine nuts, pecans or almonds instead as substitutes.

How to Make This Peach Salad

Making the best summer salad couldn’t be easier!

1. Divide lettuce onto plates. To assemble the salad, place the lettuce on a large serving platter or evenly divide between individual plates.
2. Add fruit, cheese, shallot and walnuts. Top with the sliced peaches, blueberries, crumbled cheese of your choice, shallot and candied walnuts. Set aside.
3. Shake dressing ingredients. In an airtight container with a tight lid or in a small mixing bowl, vigorously whisk or shake together the champagne vinegar, peach preserves, mustard, olive oil and salt.
4. Dress salad when ready to serve. Wait to dress the salad until you are ready to serve.

How to Serve This Fresh Peach Salad

This recipe works great as summer salads go. A light salad, but full of flavor, not your boring regular salad. It is actually refreshing. Serve with a glass of iced tea for the ideal summer lunch. 

If you want to add some protein, try some grilled chicken or even steak.

This salad also pairs nicely with my balsamic whiskey sirloin steak marinade to make it an entree.

Tips for Picking the Best Peaches

We all love fresh peaches, but do you know how to pick the best one? Check out these tips.

1. If you can buy local, do! Local peaches don’t travel as far and are thus, fresher. It is scientifically proven that fruits and vegetables start to lose nutritional potency the moment they are picked, so these will also pack the most nutrient punch. 
2. Taste test! Chances are if you are buying local at a produce stand or farmer’s market, they will be happy to give a sample slice. 
3. Smell it! A fragrant peach is a good peach. 
4. Look for color. Vibrantly colored peaches tend to have the best and most robust flavor. Shy away from peaches with any strains of green. 
5. Give it a good squeeze. Peaches get juicier as they ripen. Using two fingers, give it a little squeeze near the stem and if it starts to give with a little resistance, it is good to go. Avoid overly mushy or overly hard peaches. 
6. Avoid bruising. Carry your peaches likes they are eggs…. carefully. 

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Peach Salad

You can store this peach salad in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store the components separately. You can make the salad, peach salad dressing and candied walnuts ahead of time, but don’t actually dress the salad until you are ready to serve. 

Can I Freeze This Peach Salad?

I never recommend freezing a salad. The spring lettuce mix will thaw soggy and won’t be crisp and fresh.

More Peach Recipes

Peaches are my favorite fruit of summer, and here are some of my favorite ways to use them.