This Peach Salad with fresh berries, gouda cheese and a honey dijon vinaigrette is full of flavor! Summertime calls for adding fruit to everything - dessert, sandwiches and definitely salads!
Bring this salad to cookouts, picnics or any summer gathering. It makes a great side dish to any main meal, especially grilled citrus dijon chicken!
You can also make it into a main meal by adding a protein and grain to the salad. For protein try adding chicken, beans, tofu or nuts like almonds or walnuts. For a grain you could add quinoa or couscous.
This recipe is a great simple salad recipe that you can use as a base and adapt each time you make it!
Prepping the Salad
The prep work is very simple! The longest part is chopping the peaches and cheese if you're using a block of cheese.
Use any summer mix of greens you enjoy as your base. I love getting a container with a mix of spinach, arugula, red lettuce and butter lettuce.
Put the salad greens in your serving bowl and then add the peaches, berries, gouda cheese and onions.
If you're serving it and care about aesthetics, I love to layer and tuck some of the toppings under and over each other so you can see all the ingredients.
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette, whisk together all the ingredients. If serving the salad on the same day you can dress the greens in half of the vinaigrette before serving.
If you don't use all the vinaigrette on the salad save it for another salad - it'll keep well!
Choosing Fresh Peaches
I love peaches that are so ripe and sweet. However, for the salad, I try to choose peaches before they become too ripe and soft.
When you're shopping for the peaches, press gently near the stem and see if you get a little give. The peach shouldn't feel rock solid but have a little softness.
If you can't get peaches substitute nectarines! The flavor and sweetness will be very similar to fresh peaches.
Gouda Cheese
I love gouda! Smoked gouda cheese is something I often use on charcuterie boards, but with this recipe I chose a young, mild gouda to pair with the peaches.
There's a lot of flavor from the vinaigrette and fruit in the salad, so I didn't want the cheese to take the spot light away!
But if you love strong cheeses, switch it up and try something else!
Storage Tips
I wouldn't recommend dressing the salad if planning to eat it for the next couple days. The vinaigrette will make it soggy if it sits for too long.
Store the salad without the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge and have within 4 days after prep for optimal taste. Add the vinaigrette before serving and enjoy!
More Summer Recipes
I love using fresh fruit in summer recipes. Here's some more good eats from the blog that serve up bright flavor!
Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples: This salad has a similar dijon vinaigrette and is full of crunch from crisp apples and chopped broccoli and brussels sprouts.
Arugula Citrus Salad: This beautiful salad has only a few simple ingredients and happens to be vegan! The juicy citrus fruits bring the peppery arugula to life and the salty pistachios ties it all together for a delish salad!
Watermelon Feta Orzo Salad: Watermelon is the first summer fruit that always comes to mind! This recipe brings arugula, tangy feta cheese and sweet watermelon together in a delicious orzo dish.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
I used a mild gouda cheese so it didn't overpower the vinaigrette or fruit. However, you could add whatever cheese you have on hand and enjoy! Fresh mozzarella balls could pair well or try Havarti cheese since both are mild. If you'd rather a strong cheese - go for it and share your thoughts on it below!
Use whatever berries you have! Strawberries and raspberries would go well too!
Cumin is a great spice that has a similar mustard flavor. Add ¼ teaspoon cumin and reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon. Add a clove of freshly minced garlic and you got a different but somewhat similar vinaigrette!
Peach Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 cups sliced peaches (around 2 whole peaches)
- 1 cup berries (whatever berries you like (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
- 5 ounce container mixed greens
- ½ cup sliced sweet onion
- ½ cup cubed mild gouda cheese
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste (I usually do a few pinches around ⅛ teaspoon each)
Instructions
Prepare the Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the avocado oil, red wine vinegar, honey and dijon mustard.
- Taste for salt and pepper. Set the vinaigrette aside.
Prepare the Salad
- Place the salad greens in a large mixing bowl.
- If serving the same day, pour half the vinaigrette over the greens and toss to coat well.
- Transfer the salad greens to the serving bowl and place the sliced peaches, berries, onions and gouda cheese on the greens.
- Serve with the remaining vinaigrette.
Notes
- Peaches: nectarines
- Blueberries: any berries work - strawberries, rapsberries
- Gouda: any other mild cheese like mozzarella balls or Havarti cheese
- Only dress the salad if you're about to serve it.
- Don't store the salad dressed with the vinaigrette since it'll become soggy with time.
- Use peaches that are ripe but not too soft so that they hold up well.
- Make this side salad a main meal by adding a protein (chicken, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds) and a grain (couscous, quinoa or farro).
- Store the salad without the dressing for up to 4 days for optimal texture and flavor.
Nutrition
(Nutrition values are calculated by third-party software and an estimate that can vary based on product brands and cooking methods.)
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