Grilled Peach Salad is one of our favorites. It combines ripe and juicy peaches with fresh greens, prosciutto, goat cheese, basil, and more. We all loved every bite at our delicious luncheon!
A few qutoes that Susi found for the event: Eating salad is like giving the body a high-five”. “Salad is the art of making a meal out of leaves”. Finally, “A tasteful salad is always impeccably dressed”.
I had the privilege of going back to Highland Lake Cove, where I started my culinary career, which is owned by Kerry Lindsey. Susi Gott Séguret, the Director at Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, invited me to teach a cooking class. It was a week-long culinary school with different chefs from the area each day. I was excited, to say the least. However, I was a bit nervous because I had not taught a class for so long.
The picture above is of the group that signed up for my class. We had a delightful day cooking, chatting, and enjoying a beautiful lunch on the deck of Treska’s on the Lake. We all ate the prepared meal and sipped delicious wines Susi chose.
Firstly, I based my menu on what is in season! I wanted a flavorful salad to brighten the meal. Grilled Peach Salad came to mind. Peaches were my first choice. The best peaches to buy around our area are from South Carolina, known as “The Tastier Peach State.” Next, it had to be blackberries. Also, I added fresh basil, which is abundant in my garden. Then, prosciutto, goat cheese, and almonds finished out the salad.
Grilling brings out the peaches’ rich caramel flavor, which is perfect alongside the tangy, sweet balsamic vinaigrette. It’s a burst of summer flavors, lovely for a lunch meal or as a starter for a summertime dinner party.
- Let’s start making the salad: Grease your grill grates with neutral cooking oil, then preheat to medium-high heat (400-450 degrees). Brush the peach slices with olive oil, then lay on the grill across the grates. Grill for 2-3 minutes or until grill marks have appeared. Flip, then grill for an additional 2 minutes or so. Set aside.
- Time to make the dressing: Whisk together the balsamic, honey, and Dijon mustard until well combined. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Time to plate the salad: On individual plates, arrange the salad greens, then layer with the prosciutto, goat cheese, almond slices, and fresh basil. Add the peach slices and blackberries on top, then drizzle with the balsamic dressing and serve.
This salad comes together in under 30 minutes! Enjoy all the delicious flavors of summer coming together. Bon Appetit ~ Laurie
Grilled Peach Salad with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Almonds and Basil
Ingredients
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the salad:
- 3-4 freestone peaches sliced thick
- 2 tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive oil
- 4 cups mixed greens Arugula is my favorite
- 3 ounces prosciutto broken apart into bite-size pieces
- 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup almond slices
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn
- Blackberries to garnish
Instructions
- Grease the grill grates with neutral cooking oil, then preheat to medium-high heat (400-450 degrees). You can also saute the peaches in a hot saute or grill pan over the stove. Once done, set aside.
- Brush the peach slices with olive oil, then lay on the grill across the grates. Grill for 2-3 minutes or until grill marks have appeared. Flip, then grill for an additional 2 minutes or so. Remove to a plate.
- Whisk together the balsamic, honey, and Dijon mustard until well combined. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- On individual plates, arrange the salad greens, then layer with the prosciutto, goat cheese, almond slices, and fresh basil. Add the peach slices and blackberries on top, then drizzle with the balsamic dressing and serve.
- Notes
- The peaches can be grilled up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge.
- The vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. Give it a good shake before using it.
- If you have really high-quality aged balsamic or balsamic reduction, you can skip the vinaigrette and just drizzle the salad with balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Leftover peaches are fantastic with ice cream!