Peach Salad

This peach salad makes a perfect summer dish. Combining juicy grilled peaches, creamy avocado, savory prosciutto, tangy goat cheese, sweet blueberries, crunchy almonds, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette, it offers a delightful mix of tastes and textures. Perfect for a light summer lunch or a refreshing side dish.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:

• Peaches – make sure to use firm peaches, not ripe peaches. Ripe and soft peaches may fall apart while grilling. Instead of peaches, you can use nectarines. If the only peaches you have are ripe and soft, just use them like this without grilling them. Why grill peaches you ask? Grilling peaches brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies their flavor.
• Lettuce – use any kind of delicate/soft lettuce varieties such as arugula, green leaf lettuce, spinach, or lamb’s lettuce. I used an arugula lettuce mix. Crunchy types of lettuce, such as Romaine, would not go well with the other ingredients.
• Prosciutto – my favorite way to use prosciutto in this recipe is to leave half of the prosciutto raw and bake the other half until crispy. It adds an additional crunch to the salad and extra flavor.
• Blueberries – blackberries would also work very well.
• Avocado
• Almonds – a crunchy nut is a must in every salad recipe. In this recipe, almonds or pecans are perfect.
• Goat cheese – soft or hard goat cheese will work here very well. There are many kinds of cheese that pair well with peaches. You can use feta cheese, pecorino cheese, or sliced mozzarella pearls. Burrata cheese or pan-fried halloumi cheese would also be a great choice.
• Balsamic vinaigrette – is the perfect dressing for this salad. Balsamic vinegar goes perfectly with peaches and prosciutto, it’s a must for this recipe. You need just olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and lemon juice to make it.

If you’d like to add some more protein to this salad, diced grilled chicken would be a good choice.

How to make it step-by-step

Prepare the Prosciutto and Almonds:

Note: In this salad, I love to use prosciutto in two forms – regular/uncooked and baked until crispy. You can use just uncooked prosciutto or bake all of it. Crispy prosciutto is really amazing, and if you haven’t tried it already, you’re in for a treat!

Divide the prosciutto into two parts. Place the first part on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes until browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool. Crumble into smaller pieces.

Leave the remaining half of the prosciutto raw and set aside. Tear into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
You can also pan-fry prosciutto in a pan, but it’s much easier to do in an oven.

Sprinkle flaked almonds in an even layer on the parchment paper that you used to bake the prosciutto. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake the almonds for about 6 minutes or until golden. Transfer immediately to a plate.

(3 ounces (90g) prosciutto, 1/4 cup flaked almonds)

Prepare the Peaches:

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Cut each half into 3 wedges.

Heat the oil in a grill pan (or a regular pan if you don’t have one). Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until softened and browned. Remove from the pan and let cool.

(3 firm peaches, 1 tablespoon oil)

Make the Dressing:

To a small/medium jar, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Close the jar with a lid and shake until all the ingredients are well combined.

(3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice)

Assemble the Salad:

Wash the lettuce (if it’s not already washed) and dry it in a salad spinner or with paper towels.

Spread the lettuce on a very large plate. Season with salt and pepper. Top with peach wedges, sliced avocado, blueberries, uncooked prosciutto, crispy prosciutto, sprinkle with flaked almonds and crumbled goat cheese.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad.

(3 handfuls arugula lettuce mix, 1/3 cup blueberries, 2 1/2 ounces (75g) goat cheese, 1/2 avocado)

Enjoy!

More summer salad recipes for you to enjoy

• Summer Panzanella Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Butter Lettuce Salad
• Halloumi Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Arugula Salad