I’ve eaten all the watermelon gazpacho I made last week and we still have triple digits, so cooking is out of the question! Fortunately, my peaches ripened this week and I love grilled peaches so they became the focal point of a nice refreshing salad. The inspiration for this came from Lazy Cat Kitchen One of my favorite recipe blogs. I added blueberries because they go great with peaches and are so delicious and nutritious. You can leave out the Fennel but it really compliments the peaches so if you can find it I recommend including it in this salad. Use whatever greens you like; spinach, arugula, spring mix or any combination of them. For the “dressing” I used a Balsamic Glaze that I bought plus a bit of a Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar I got at a gourmet shop … so good. You can make your own balsamic glaze just by cooking balsamic vinegar over very low heat until it reduces by about a third, then add just a bit of honey, agave nectar or maple syrup at the end. Because it is thick it will coat the salad better than just plain balsamic vinegar, but you can use vinegar mixed with a bit of olive oil and maple syrup for your dressing without reducing it if you are pressed for time.
It’s peach season so make sure to get the freshest ones you can find at a farmers market or your friend’s tree (I have plenty right now)! I grilled them because I love the smokey flavor of grilled peaches in this salad but fresh will work, too. This is a beautiful salad to serve when you are having folks over for a barbecue and it is so easy you can make it in less than half an hour. The perfect summer salad😋.
RECIPE for Peach Blueberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing (serves 2-4)
Ingredients
- 4 – 6 large fresh peaches, slightly firm
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 4 cups washed fresh greens ( spinach, arugula, spring mix)
- 1 small Fennel bulb
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds or pecans slices
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Glaze
- 2 TBSP blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar (optional) or other fruit-flavored vinegar
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- salt & pepper
Directions
- Thinly slice the Fennel bulb using a mandoline, side of your grater or a very sharp knife. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the red onion, add to the sliced fennel.
- Cut the peaches into thick sections, at least an inch wide. Leave skin on.
- Slice the almonds or chop the pecans and toast them on the stovetop in skillet, watching them carefully. They go from nicely toasted to burnt to a crisp in about 15 seconds so don’t do ANYTHING else while toasting them!
- In a bowl toss the greens with the sliced onion and Fennel. Toss with the Tablespoon of olive and some salt and pepper. Arrange the greens on a platter or large plate.
- Lightly oil your grill if you are doing this step and carefully arrange the peach slices over medium-high heat. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes then turn over and grill the other side. If they are super ripe they won’t grill very well and may fall apart so keep an eye on them.
- When the peaches have those lovely grill marks remove them and place on the bed of greens, spread the blueberries over the top, then sprinkle the toasted nuts.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the entire top and serve immediately. DIG IN!
- Note: you could add some chopped fresh mozzarella cheese on this salad if you like; otherwise it is a great vegan salad.
the pollen count 