Grilled Peach Salad
Yield: 6
This Grilled Peach Salad recipe features fresh vegetables and basil, chewy little bites of fresh mozzarella, and sweet, juicy peaches that are grilled to caramelized perfection. Dressed in a bright lemon-honey vinaigrette, it's a salad celebration of fresh color and flavor!
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Salad
- 3 large ripe yet firm peaches (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing the peaches
- 3 cups mixed spring greens
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls or halved fresh mozzarella "cherry-size" balls
- ¼ cup thin slices red onion
- ¼ cup small fresh basil leaves
- Maldon sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Dressing
- Place all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and shake vigorously to combine - or simply whisk everything together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Salad
- Slice peaches in half and remove the pits. Then cut each half into 3-4 thick wedges. Lightly brush all cut sides with olive oil.
- Heat grill to medium-high heat, then brush clean grill grates liberally with oil. Add peaches, cut-side down. Grill for about 1-3 minutes, undisturbed, until distinct grill marks develop. Depending on the ripeness of your peaches, grill either both cut sides or just 1 cut side of each peach wedge (do not over-cook, or they can become mushy). Use a very thin metal spatula to gently lift the peaches from underneath, to preserve those gorgeous grill marks, and transfer them to a plate. Let peaches cool a bit while you assemble the salad.
- Place greens on a large platter, in an even layer. Add tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and red onion.
- Shake or whisk the dressing to combine, then drizzle as much as you like over the salad.
- Top the salad with the grilled peaches, nestling them in here and there.
- Finish the salad with a sprinkle of small fresh basil leaves, plus a bit of sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Serve right away.
Notes
How to prevent peaches from sticking to grill:
- Use ripe yet firm peaches. The peaches need to be ripe and sweet, or this salad is not going to be worth your effort! They should be firm, with a bit of softness and give. I like to buy them when they're still a bit hard, then let them ripen on our kitchen counter: place the peaches stem-side down inside a brown paper bag and fold the bag shut. Let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 1-3 days, checking every day.
- Go for bigger peaches. It's always easier to handle larger pieces of peach when grilling, so choose larger peaches. Slice them in half first, then slice each half into 3-4 thick wedges. If your only choice is smaller peaches, you might want to simply slice the peaches into halves or quarters only.
- Clean the grill grates. Heat up the grill and then scrub the grates absolutely clean.
- Oil the grill grates & peaches. Brush the grates and the cut sides of the peaches with olive oil.
- Use medium-high heat. Peaches have a good amount of natural sugar and they're tender, so they're going to want to stick to the grates. Using a higher grill temperature will help to create char marks on the peaches faster, which will enable easier flipping.
- Refrain from flipping too soon. Let the peaches develop distinct charred lines before flipping. Depending on your peaches and grill heat, this usually takes 1-3 minutes. I also caution to not over-cook peaches so they become mushy!
- Use a thin spatula. I recommend grabbing a very thin metal spatula. If your peaches are sticking, this tool helps to lift up the peaches. Take care when flipping, so you don't rip the peach away from the charred grilled marks.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.