Do you have peaches fresh from the tree and are looking for something other than the standard peach cobbler recipe? Try this amazing peach salad. It’s a delicious combination of peaches, arugula, feta cheese, and chicken and is sure to wow your guests.
Why I Love This Recipe
During the summer, we enjoy fresh eating from our garden by making recipes like this healthy broccoli salad or this green bean salad. Dinner salads are quintessential summer eating, and this sweet-and-savory recipe is no exception.
Sweet, fresh peaches, bitter greens and herbs, creamy cheese, tangy mustard, salty chicken, and crunchy nuts. Every flavor and texture combine to create the most satisfying and complete summer meal, all without heating up your kitchen!
Notice that this recipe includes marinating chicken, so you’ll need to begin preparations a few hours before you want to cook. As always, make this recipe work for you. Mix and match, add, take away, and create something you love with what you have.
Peach Salad Variations
With the changing seasons, the peach salad is flexible to use seasonal fruits and nuts.
- Seasonal Swaps – When fall and winter come, switch out sweet peaches for apples or pears and walnuts for pecans. In spring and early summer, try using strawberries instead of peaches.
- Cheese Alternatives – Instead of using feta, try other cheeses such as bleu cheese, cotija, or goat cheese. You could even use this dream cheese sliced into bite-sized pieces.
- Optional Add-Ins – Try these additional flavors to give your salad even more texture and flavor:
- Avocado
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Sugar Snap or Snow Peas
- Fresh Corn (Grill it when you grill the chicken!)
In the Homestead Kitchen
This peach salad recipe was featured in issue No. 23 of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine. If you feel overwhelmed searching Pinterest or YouTube, scrambling to find nourishing meals from scratch, then this is the time-saving tool designed just for you.
With your subscription, you will receive a monthly digital magazine with original recipes, step-by-step tutorials, and plenty of homesteading tips and hacks.
As a bonus, you also get access to our Video Vault, which is our video training series on useful homesteading skills. We’ll be taking the magazine to print in January 2025, so subscribe today to lock in your price and get instant access!
Supplies Needed
- Bowls – You will need a large bowl to prepare and marinate the chicken, a small bowl to whisk the dressing, and an additional bowl to prepare and serve the salad.
- Whisk – A wire whisk is best for emulsifying the dressing ingredients.
- Grill – The best flavors are obtained with an outdoor propane or charcoal grill, but you can also use an indoor grill.
Ingredients Needed
Chicken Ingredients:
- Skinless, Boneless Chicken – Use your preferred cut of chicken: breast, tenderloin or thighs.
- Olive Oil – You can substitute avocado oil if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fresh Basil – Learn how easy it is to grow basil here.
- Fresh Rosemary – Learn how easy it is to grow rosemary here.
- Garlic – If you don’t have fresh, 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder can be used. Learn to grow garlic here.
- Lemon Juice – Orange or lime juice can be substituted.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper – To taste. We love Redmond Real Salt for everything. (Using that link will automatically get you 15% off your order at checkout.)
Salad Ingredients:
- Mixed Greens – Arugula is a popular choice, but use any of your favorite greens such as green or red lettuce, romaine, spinach, kale, or endive.
- Fresh Basil – Learn how easy it is to grow basil here.
- Fresh Peaches – You can wash the peaches and leave the skin on, or if preferred, blanch the peaches to remove the skin.
- Chopped Nuts – Pecans and walnuts or slivered or sliced almonds all work well.
- Red Onion – Rinse the sliced red onion under cool water (or soak it in ice water for a few minutes) to remove its harsh bite.
- Crumbled Cheese – Feta, cotija, blue cheese, or goat cheese work well.
- Bacon – Check out our homesteader’s guide to curing bacon here.
Dressing Ingredients:
- Olive Oil – You can substitute avocado or sunflower oil if that’s what you have on hand.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This apple scrap vinegar tastes great in salad dressings. Red wine vinegar also works well.
- Honey – I like using raw local honey, but if that’s not accessible to you, regular honey or maple syrup both work great.
- Dijon Mustard – Any mustard you have on hand will work well for this recipe. You can even try my stone-ground mustard recipe.
- Dried Basil – Learn the best methods for drying herbs here.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper – To taste.
How to Make Peach Salad
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together olive or avocado oil, fresh basil and rosemary, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to the marinade; marinate for 2-5 hours.
- Cook the chicken: Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Add chicken to the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken. (5-8 min per side is typical.) Allow chicken to rest before slicing.
- Assemble the salad: Mix greens and chopped basil in a large bowl. Top with bacon, peaches, nuts, onion, and cheese. Slice chicken into strips and place on top of salad.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon, and basil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle dressing over individual salads or serve dressing alongside plates. Serve immediately.
Did you make this peach salad? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
FAQ
This peach salad recipe has fresh baby greens, ripe peaches, chicken, and crumbled feta cheese.
It’s tossed with a tangy vinaigrette. This dressing is made with olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Yes, it changes with each season. For fall and winter, you can use apples and walnuts. In spring and early summer, choose strawberries and pecans.
If you don’t have feta on hand, bleu cheese, cotija or goat cheese also work well.
Fresh is best, but it lasts in the fridge for 1-2 days. Just note that the lettuce may wilt. You can add more lemon juice to revive the flavors.
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- How to Grow Greens Year-Round
- Get an Instant Garden in the GreenStalk Vertical Garden Planter
- How to Grow Lettuce the EASY Way
- Homemade Vinaigrette That Doesn’t Separate
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Easy Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Peach Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Bowls three total
- Whisk
- Grill optional
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloin or thigh
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 8 cups lettuce torn
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 2 large peaches sliced, or three small peaches
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 red onion sliced thinly
- 1 cup feta crumbled
- 4 pieces bacon crumbled
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive or avocado oil, fresh basil and rosemary, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to the marinade; marinate for 2-5 hours.
Cook the Chicken
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Add chicken to the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken. (5-8 min per side is typical.) Allow chicken to rest before slicing.
Assemble the Salad
- Mix greens and chopped basil in a large bowl. Top with bacon, peaches, nuts, onion, and cheese. Slice chicken into strips and place on top of salad.
Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon, and basil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dress the Salad
- Drizzle dressing over individual salads or serve dressing alongside plates. Serve immediately.
