This grilled peach salad is August in a bowl. Packed with the best of summer produce and ready in minutes, it’s going to be your go-to salad from now until apple season. Take my word for it.
You guys. This salad. It’s everything you want in a summer salad. It’s light, fresh, and full of summer flavors. Because it’s packed with fiber from all the veggies and healthy fats from the avocado, it’s more filling than your traditional side salad. Serve it with grilled chicken, fish, tofu, or your favorite thing to grill for the perfect late summer meal.
Say buh-bye to boring salads
The key to a satisfying salad is to include a variety of flavors, textures, and colors. My clients tend to hate salads because diet culture has taught them that salads are “free” foods and should be filled with boring vegetables (hello iceberg lettuce and anemic tomatoes) and topped with fat-free dressing.
Salads are a great way, especially in the summer, to pack in a lot of nutrients on your plate. But they shouldn’t be torture to eat! Here are the 5 things I recommend including to take your salads from depressing to mouthwatering.
- Start with seasonal vegetables. They have the most flavor when at their peak growing season. This guide tells you what’s in season in your region each month. Explore my favorite fall and winter salads.
- Aim for a variety of colors. We eat with our eyes, too! When food looks appealing, we enjoy it more.
- Mix up the textures. Add crunch with nuts, seeds, or crunchy fruits and vegetables, creaminess with avocado or cheese, and smooth textures with different greens or other vegetables.
- Experiment with different flavors. Include something sweet like corn, winter squash, or dried fruit along with something stronger like red onion or blue cheese. Add saltiness with olives or feta cheese or umami with roasted mushrooms or roasted tomatoes.
- Make it filling with some fat. Nuts, seeds, cheese, avocado, or olives add healthy fats that slow digestion and keep you full for longer. Plus, they are delicious.
FAQs about Heirloom Tomato, Corn, and Grilled Peach Salad
Ok, back to this mouthwatering salad. As with any salad and most recipes on my site, you can completely customize it to your taste. It’s delicious as is (IMHO), but if you want to mix it up or skip certain ingredients, here are my recommendations.
I don’t have a grill, do I need to grill the peaches?
Grilling the peaches brings out a sweeter, more caramelized flavor. But you can absolutely skip this step and leave them fresh. Or you can put them under the broiler for 1 minute.
I don’t like onion in my salads, can I leave them out?
Yes. The onion flavor pairs well with the sweet peach to make it a more savory dish, but you can definitely leave this out and it will still be a delicious salad.
can i add cheesE? what kind would be good?
I often add cheese to this salad. It’s delicious with crumbled feta (I prefer sheep’s milk feta for its creamier, less salty flavor), crumbled goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, blue cheese crumbles (for a stronger flavor), or shaved Parmesan. Basically any cheese makes this salad even more amazing.
Did you make this salad?
Leave a comment letting me know what you thought about it and rate it in the recipe card below! Save it to your Pinterest board so you can find it later, and don’t forget to share a picture of your creation on instagram and tag me (@busy.mom.nutrition). I love seeing what you’re up to!
Heirloom Tomato, Corn, and Grilled Peach Salad
This grilled peach salad is August in a bowl. It's light, refreshing, and the perfect side dish to any summer dinner.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 medium ripe peaches
- Tomatoes (1 large, 2 medium, a handful of cherry tomatoes, or a mix)
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 5-oz package of pre-washed salad greens such as arugula, spring mix, or another green of your favorite.
- A few thin slices of red onion (about 1/4 of a small)
- Corn from 1 medium ear of corn (cooked)
- About 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil and mint (optional)
Lemony dressing
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- pinch of salt & fresh pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium. Cut peaches in half and place flesh side down on grill for 3 minutes. Once cool, slice into 1/4 inch wedges.
- Meanwhile, place all other salad ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl or jar.
- Once peaches are ready, add to the salad and dress with amount of dressing you prefer (this dressing may make more than you need, so save the rest for another salad).
Notes
1. If you don't want to grill the peaches, you can leave them raw.
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