A healthy, quick summer salad using fresh peaches, feta and pecans. A surprising way to use fresh peaches – delicious and tasty.
I had a peach and nut salad recently that was like a big candy salad. The peaches were sweet, the nuts were candied and the dressing was sweet. It was a sugar overload. I think when adding fruit to a salad you need to balance out the sweetness.
This peach, feta and pecan salad is the perfect example – the peaches are sweet but the salty feta and a simple, bright white wine vinaigrette balances things out – all you need to add are some mixed greens, crunchy nuts and a little red onion and you’re done.
You want to make sure that you use really ripe peaches – the peaches are what makes this salad.
I know people are starting to talk about the fall but it’s really hot here and it’s going to be hot for the next two weeks. So this salad is still in order for toasty, hot Los Angeles.
This salad comes together quickly – in about 10 minutes. It doesn’t take very long to prep all your ingredients and I think the best way to toss this salad is with your hands. It’s a delicate salad and needs a light touch so it doesn’t fall apart. So if you don’t mind getting your hands covered in a little vinaigrette – then give it a toss!
A couple of notes:
This is a delicate salad so you’ll want to divide the dressing in half. Toss the first half of the dressing with the mixed greens. Add the remaining ingredients to the dressed mixed greens and toss with the second half of the vinaigrette. Toss gently so that the peaches and feta keep their shape.
Before mincing your onion, soak the slice of onion for a couple of minutes in a little water – this will remove some of the harsh, raw onion taste.
You can swap out nectarines for peaches. I can’t help but wonder if plum would be good – let me know if you try them instead.
PrintPeach, feta and pecan salad
A quick, fresh salad using peaches, feta and pecans.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 4 1x
Ingredients
- A 5 oz bag mixed spring greens
- 2 peaches – sliced
- 2 oz of feta cheese – diced
- 1/2 cup of pecans
- 2 tbs minced red onion
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs white wine vinegar
- 1 tps honey – 1 small squeeze
- 6 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill
Instructions
- Wash and dry the mixed spring greens and set aside.
- Slice peaches, dice feta and mince the red onion.
- Whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey and black pepper.
- Toss half the dressing over the mixed greens. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the mixed greens and toss with remaining dressing.
Thanks for stopping by – hope you enjoy the recipe. You can find me on instagram and pinterest too!
Carol
Really good salad. I used champagne vinegar (gluten free) and red butter lettuce. A full batch of dressing was just right for a half recipe of salad. A perfect compliment to grilled jerk chicken. Thanks for this great recipe.
★★★★★
Geraldine
Hey Carol – glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating – I appreciate hearing from you!
Sharon
Do the peaches get brown
Geraldine
Hi Sharon – it’s best to serve this salad right away so you don’t have an issue with the peaches turning brown.
Liz
Can you use red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar?Thanks liz
Geraldine
Hi Liz – yes, you can use red wine vinegar. White wine vinegar is a bit lighter but red should work fine. Hope you enjoy it.
Helen
This salad is simple and amazing. I don’t usually opt for frut in my salad but when I tried this at my mom’s I had to have the recipe. Even my picky toddler was elbows deep in a bowl of this salad. Thanks!!
★★★★★
Geraldine
Hi Helen! Thank you so much for letting me know who much you enjoyed this salad! Just love that your toddler was such a big fan too!
Barbara
Delicious salad-thank you for sharing it. I toasted the pecans and used white nectarines and romaine lettuce, as I was too lazy to go to the store today! Loved it. Nice combination of flavors with a spicy fish entree.
Geraldine
Thanks so much for letting me know, Barbara. Glad you enjoyed it!
Faye Miller
can plain white vinegar be substituted for the white wine vinegar as we do not like white wine vinegar. Thanks
Geraldine
Hi Faye – please don’t use white vinegar. White vinegar is used mostly for pickling or cleaning – it has a strong sharp flavor that will not work with this recipe. I don’t really have a suggestion for an alternative. Sorry.
Rebecca
Hi Faye,
Just wanted you to know I have substituted Apple cider vinegar and it tastes delicious. Just wanted to share another option.
Thank you,
Rebecca
Geraldine
Thanks, Rebecca – good to know that apple cider vinegar works!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
I love this salad! It has all of my favorite salad components: something sweet, something salty, and something crunchy. Looks perfect for a hot day, although I am a little jealous of your warm weather, it is officially fall here in Canada, aka: cold 🙁
Geraldine
Thanks, Denise. Don’t be too jealous – we’re having a horrible heat wave – 103 degrees today and continuing for the next week. Have a nice cool day in Canada!!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
You had me at peaches and pecans! You’re taking me back to my Southern roots with this salad! I am a big fan of fruit and lettuce salads, so this one suits me just fine. Your photographs are beautiful, and they shout ‘summers not over yet!’ Thank you, Geraldine!
Geraldine
Hi Traci – it’s so hot here fruit is sort of mandatory for lunch – something cool. A lot of people grill the peaches before adding them to a salad but I think this worked well without grilling – because it’s too darn hot to grill! Have a good one.
Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen
I really can’t wait to try out this salad! I know what you mean about balancing sweet with salty, and I think you’ve done a great job with this combination of flavors. I also love your tip about soaking onions in water – I had never heard of that before!
Geraldine
Thanks, Julia. Your date, cheese and almond salad inspired me to make this :). Definitely try the onion tip – it makes a real difference. Have a good one.
Olivia
Delicious! It is still hot in NYC too! So I’ll give this a try! 🙂
Geraldine
Hi Olivia – this is a perfect hot weather salad – hope you enjoy it. Have a good one!
Sippitysup
Thank you for joining me in stretching out summer with more peaches. I just made a pie myself. GREG
Geraldine
Hi Greg – hope you’re posting that pie on your blog!
Crystal | Apples & Sparkle
This is salad perfection! Such great balance of flavors. I had to smile today at the grocery store when I had super sweet cantaloupe and honeycrisp apples in my shopping cart. Such a great time of year – a little bit of summer/a little bit of fall! I need to make this salad though before the good peaches are gone. : )
Geraldine
Hi Crystal – I hadn’t thought of it that way but you’re right – a little bit of summer/a little bit of fall – that’s a great way to describe this time of year. Have a great day!
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This looks like perfect end of the summer salad!!
Geraldine
Thanks, Ami!