When peaches are in season, their juicy sweetness is pure magic! I almost called this salad "juicy" Peach and Arugula Salad but then I realized I've got a lot of "juicy" happening on the blog right now with my recently posted Juicy Veggie Pasta Salad and my Juicy & Crunchy Kale Salad! But don't you just love biting into a peach and the juice runs down your chin? I LOVE it!
So now that I'm officially back from Austria, I'm in full cooking and baking mode which is why I posted this peach inspired recipe and I've got another peachy recipe coming out in a couple of days too! If you're super familiar with my favourite things to make then I bet you can get what my next recipe will be with peaches! Any guesses?
Since we were gone for a month I really missed my kitchen and our local farmer's market, even though there was no shortage of farmers markets visits in Austria. In fact, my father-in-law lives about 10 minutes away from a market that runs 7-days per week! But being back home means we are eating at home more than we are eating out which makes me very joyous!
Now for this wonderful recipe! The ingredients are so super simple - you may even have everything right now. I don't like to overcomplicate things when it comes to salad. As I was making it I thought to myself, should I add some shredded carrots? Or what about yellow or orange sweet pepper? Now you're more than welcome to add that to yours, but the simplicity of this salad is what makes it really shine!
I do recommend you purchase organic peaches if possible because they are highly sprayed with pesticides and #7 on the Dirty Dozen list. Especially if you've got little people in your home, they are more susceptible to the negative effects of pesticides because they weigh much less than us grown-ups and it can impact their microbiome . Now if your peaches are not ripe, don't worry I've got some great tips for getting them to ripen in this post .
The dressing, not unlike the salad is again simple, but memorable, flavourful and delicious!
The key to a good dressing like this is to make sure it emulsifies well so be sure to use a wire whisk to mix it. And give it a taste test along the way. If you like a dressing with more "bite" then just add a little more apple cider vinegar. If you like it a little sweeter, then feel free to add more honey.
If you like more dressing on your salad, simply double the recipe.
This Peach Arugula Salad is:
- Fresh, bright and absolutely delicious!
- Gluten-free
- Kid-friendly
- Grain-free
- Can be dairy-free if you simply omit the feta
- Easy to assemble
- All the ingredients are easy to find
- Want to make it vegan-friendly? Swap out the honey for maple syrup in the dressing and use a cashew-based cheese instead of feta
It's also very juicy, thanks to the dressing and peaches. But if you came across this wonderful salad when peaches are out of season, don't despair! This recipe is just as good with pears instead of peaches.
Here's my recipe!
Salads
Peach Arugula Salad
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SALAD
- 6 ripe organic peaches, thinly sliced
- 8-10 cups arugula
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
DRESSING
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 heaping tsp honey
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Place arugula in large salad bowl. Top with sliced peaches, feta cheese and walnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until emulsified.
- Pour dressing over top of salad and toss, just before serving. EnJOY!
We enjoyed this with some sourdough bread, hummus and olives for a tasty lunch. You could also enjoy it as a side dish at dinner with my Salmon Quinoa Cakes from Joyous Detox or my Orange Mint Salmon.
I hope you love this bright and fresh salad!
Joy xo
This was absolutely fantastic!! I went to our local farmer's market to grab some fresh peaches :) Joy- thank you for your recipes. I make Joyous recipes everyday. It has become a lifestyle! I've seen so many improvements (i.e., decreased inflammation, calmer gut..I feel happier, more energized and focused). Thank you, thank you!!!
ReplyI'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it too!!
What a wonderful salad and dressing! Beautiful to look at and delicious! Thank you for this great recipe!
ReplyGlad you enjoyed it!!
This salad is soooooo good! The Ontario peaches are awesome this year and we can't stop eating them. What a great way to make them the star of the meal! Thank you for this incredibly yummy recipe! It's on repeat in our house.
ReplyYou're welcome Margaret. Glad you loved it!!