This salad recipe is midsummer: sweet peaches, creamy goat cheese and aromatic basil are the key components. Enjoy the season while it lasts!
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Summer time, and the peaches are easy. Well, easy to get! Thank God.
As with almost anything else that showcases local and seasonal vegetables, you don’t have to do much to make things taste delicious. The less the better.
Buy the ingredients at the Farmers Market
You could very well use spinach or another veg, but I wanted to avoid arugula in the dead heat of summer because the flavor tends to sharpen and become more peppery and bitter. Rocket really has less bite in spring and early fall.
But a sweet baby spinach, or even sorrel if you can find it, would be great – the latter would add some lemony sparkle to the flavors. I used a spring mix from one of my favorite growers for this recipe.
I also picked a yellow tomato to contrast the peaches and because they are less acidic than red ones, but an orange would work well too.
Use good quality vinegar and olive oil
I have a multi-step approach to using olive oils. I have a quality extra virgin olive oil that I use for drizzling pasta and for a few other uses. But I save the really good stuff for salads, and in the summer it’s not uncommon for me to devour several bottles of extra virgin olive oil.
I also like to use really good quality vinegars that come from specialty stores that know what they are doing to use in salads. They just add an extra dimension of flavor; good vinegar makes this taste feel more like a carefully composed, restaurant-quality salad and sets it apart from everyday life.
In this case, I used champagne vinegar, which is a little sweet, but if you don’t have it, don’t let that stop you from making this salad. Just replace white wine vinegar.
This salad tastes best the day it’s made
As with any salad, this tastes best the day it is made. It can serve four to six people generously as a side dish.
If you end up with leftovers, wrap loosely and refrigerate the lettuce and eat within 24 hours before the leaves turn brown and mushy.
If you want to turn this into a dinner salad and make it more substantial, I suggest topping it with grilled chicken or shrimp; the latter would add some charred sweetness to the salad.
More summer salads to enjoy!
- Arugula salad with tomatoes, corn and burrata
- Greek pasta salad
- Lentil salad with summer vegetables
- Farro salad with green beans, corn and cherry tomatoes
- BLT Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Summer salad with peaches and goat cheese
If possible, use yellow or orange tomatoes for this recipe, as they are less acidic than red ones.
ingredients
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1/3 Cup thinly sliced Red onion (about 1/2 small onion)
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2 to 3 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
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1/3 Cup raw, peeled pistachios
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3 to 4 peachesLeftover skins, cut into chunks (about 3 cups)
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1 tablespoon honey
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2 tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
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1/3 Cup olive oil
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5 ounces mixed green like baby spinachSorrel or other seasonal farmers market vegetables
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1/3 Cup chopped fresh basil
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1/3 Cup crumbles goat cheese
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1/2 Cup chopped yellow or orange tomatoes (1 large tomato)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
method
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Soak Onion:
In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and add the onions, tossing gently with your fingers to coat. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. This takes some of the bite out of the onion.
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Roast pistachios:
In a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and set aside to cool.
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Combine the peaches and honey:
In a medium bowl, combine the peaches and honey until covered.
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Make the dressing and toss the salad:
In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add the mixed vegetables and basil and toss together with your clean hands.
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Assemble the salad:
Place the vegetables on individual plates or a large platter. Spread the peaches, goat cheese, tomatoes, pistachios and red onions evenly over the vegetables. Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 211 | calories |
| 15g | Fat |
| 18g | carbohydrates |
| 4g | protein |
