Description
Elegant summer salad with sweet peaches, blueberries, creamy feta, peppery arugula, and honey balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
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- 5 oz baby arugula or mixed spring greens
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- 3 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
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- 1 cup fresh blueberries
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- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (Greek or French feta)
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- ½ cup candied pecans or walnuts
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- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
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- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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- 1 tbsp honey
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- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
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- Salt and pepper to taste
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- Optional: fresh basil leaves, goat cheese instead of feta
Instructions
Wash your peaches and pat them dry. Cut each peach in half around the pit, twist to separate the halves, and remove the pit. Slice each half into thin wedges—about 6-8 slices per peach half works perfectly. The slices should be thin enough to eat easily but thick enough to hold their shape in the salad.
Place the baby arugula or mixed greens in your large serving bowl or spread them out on a beautiful platter for more dramatic presentation. Distribute the greens evenly so every serving will have a good mix of ingredients throughout the salad.
Arrange the sliced peaches over the greens in an attractive pattern—you can scatter them randomly or arrange them in neat rows for a more formal presentation. Sprinkle the fresh blueberries over everything, distributing them evenly so every portion gets berries. The contrast of orange peaches and deep blue berries is absolutely stunning!
Crumble the feta cheese over the salad, breaking it into bite-sized chunks that won’t be too large to eat comfortably. Scatter the candied pecans or walnuts evenly over everything. Distribute the thinly sliced red onion throughout the salad—a little goes a long way, so don’t overdo it.
In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Seal the jar tightly and shake vigorously for 30 seconds until the honey is completely dissolved and the dressing is emulsified and creamy. Alternatively, whisk everything together in a small bowl until smooth.
Drizzle the honey balsamic dressing over the entire salad just before serving. Start with about half the dressing, then add more to taste—you can always add more but can’t take it away. Toss gently if serving family-style, or present it beautifully composed on a platter for a more elegant presentation at dinner parties.
Notes
Use ripe but firm peaches. Dress just before serving to prevent wilting. Make dressing up to 3 days ahead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of salad
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 17mg