Nectarine Salad
Stone fruit joins forces with farmer's market vegetables in this beautiful nectarine salad, brought together with a champagne dressing. This recipe takes only a few minutes and is the tastiest way to get your greens this summer.
Ingredients
Champagne Dressing
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine or white balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Nectarine Salad
- 5 ounces arugula or mixed baby greens
- 2-3 yellow or white nectarines pitted and sliced, can also use peaches
- 1 large tomato sliced
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- ⅓ cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots
- salt and pepper to taste I recommend flaky salt if possible
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar, dried thyme, salt, and honey until combined.
- Very slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is combined and well emulsified. Set aside.
- Layer the arugula or mixed baby greens in a large serving bowl. Top it with the sliced nectarines, tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber. Sprinkle the vegetables with the crumbled goat cheese, pistachios, golden raisins, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing and enjoy!
Notes
Storage Directions
Store the salad separately from the dressing for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Very slowly whisk in the olive oil. For the best emulsification with the vinegar, go slowly with the olive oil. Over-whisking will result in the oil and vinegar separating.
- Serve after assembling. The juices from the nectarines and vegetables will soak the salad if left to sit for a while. I suggest serving shortly after you finish making it, so it's enjoyed fresh and crisp.
- Dress just before serving. Similar to the tip above, you'll want to wait to add the dressing until just before serving to prevent it from sitting in the oil and vinegar for too long. No one likes a soggy salad!
- Peaches: Nectarines and peaches are almost genetically identical except for a mutation that gives peaches a fuzzy exterior and nectarines a smooth one. Because of that, peaches are a seamless substitution in this salad.
- Stone Fruit: Go all out with stone fruit and use a combination of cherries, apricots, peaches, and/or nectarines.
- Dressing: Switch up the dressing — use white balsamic vinegar instead of champagne vinegar, and whisk in 1 tablespoon of minced shallots or 1 teaspoon of smooth Dijon mustard.
- Cheese: Swap crumbled feta cheese or fresh mozzarella pearls for the goats cheese.
- Nuts: Slivered almonds, toasted pecans, or walnuts can be substituted for pistachios.
- Dairy-Free: Omit the goat cheese.
- Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey and omit the goat cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 378mgFiber: 3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1081IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 1mg
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