This Peach Salad with Goat Cheese is the perfect summer salad! Made with arugula, sliced almonds and the best balsamic dressing!
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If you’re looking for the best way to use up peaches – try this peach salad with goat cheese!
After making healthy food for years, we’ve become pros at making a salad that’s not only good for you, but actually tastes good too!
This salad truly is the perfect salad. Sweet peaches, creamy goat cheese, crunchy croutons, peppery arugula – all tossed in the most delicious (and super easy to make!) balsamic dressing.
why we love this peach goat cheese salad
- Unique flavor combo – this salad is the perfect balance of salty, sweet. Salty goat cheese, sweet peaches – the best basil balsamic dressing, it’s got it all going on!
- Tons of texture – Unlike your usual mushy, boring salad – this salad is loaded with texture, crunchy almonds and creamy goat cheese- it’s anything but boring!
- Easy to make – the homemade croutons take a little bit of extra work, but they’re worth it!
Ingredients:
- olive oil and balsamic vinegar are the base of the dressing. Look for a good quality olive oil, we like extra virgin
- fresh basil – fresh herbs really are best in this recipe. You can use dried basil, but we don’t recommend it
- honey – this gives a little bit of sweetness to the dressing to balance out the acidity
- salt & pepper
- arugula
- peaches – peaches should be firm to the touch but slightly soft if you press on the skin
- goat cheese – feta would also work well
- sliced almonds – I like sliced almonds better in salads for the texture. They’re thin and crispy
- homemade croutons – these really are the BEST croutons you’ll ever make. They’re worth making from scratch!
SUBSTITUTIONS
Olive Oil: You can substitute olive oil for avocado oil, but we prefer to make our dressing with olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has the best flavor.
Basil: Please please please use fresh basil in this recipe! It really makes the dressing soooo much tastier. If you don’t have it you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil.
Honey: Don’t skip the honey. You could use a little bit of maple syrup instead.
Arugula: This salad also works with spinach or spring mix. I’ve made it with kale, but would recommend using baby kale over curly kale.
Peaches: Peaches are the star of this salad, but if you don’t have them you could substitute with fresh berries or apples.
Goat Cheese: I like the tang of goat cheese against the sweetness of the peaches, but you could substitute it with feta or shaved parmesan.
Almonds: Sliced almonds are best in this, but slivered almonds also work. You could substitute with candied walnuts, pecans, or even plain sunflower seeds for a nut free version.
Croutons: The homemade croutons are the best part of this salad! Take the time to make them over using store bought 🙂
How to Make Peach Salad
- In a food processor, blend all salad dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Toss arugula with peaches, goat cheese, sliced almonds, and croutons. Drizzle with some balsamic dressing and serve!
What to Serve with Peach Salad:
This peach salad is delicious on its own, but to add some protein, we love to pair it with:
- Balsamic Grilled Chicken
- The chicken from this Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Baked Boneless Chicken Breast
- BBQ Chicken Breast
- Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets
Liz’s Tip for the best Salad:
Double the peaches: I personally love fruit in salad, and if you have super sweet peaches that are in season.. I’d double the amount the recipe calls for! The more, the better!
Storage
Storing: This salad is best eaten fresh. If you store the dressing separately, it will last for 2 days in the refrigerator. If you’re going to store the salad overnight, I recommend adding a paper towel to the container – it will help prevent the greens from getting soggy.
The dressing will separate when it’s in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and shake vigorously to reconstitute it.
Other healthy salad recipes:
Peach Salad with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup fresh basil OR 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For the Salad:
- 6 cups arugula about 8 oz
- 1 cup peach chopped
- 2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- ½ cup homemade croutons
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a blender or small food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Set the dressing aside. This will make roughly ½ cup of dressing, and you only need ¼ cup. Save the rest for another day!
- In a large bowl, toss arugula with peaches, goat cheese, sliced almonds and croutons.
- Drizzle with ¼ cup balsamic dressing and enjoy!
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