Grilled Peach Salad with Mint Basil Pesto
Grilled Peach Salad with Mint Basil Pesto is a perfect summer salad featuring juicy grilled peaches, fresh arugula, and creamy mozzarella, all topped with a vibrant homemade mint basil pesto. This peach salad recipe combines smoky flavor from the grilled peaches with the fresh, peppery bite of arugula, creating a delicious and refreshing dish ideal for summer meals. Serve this salad as a great side dish or a light main course, showcasing the best of peach season.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
- Escarole
- Arugula
- Water Cress
- 6 peaches medium sized
- mozzarella cheese sliced
- 1/8 cup pine nuts toasted
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- fresh ground peppercorn
For the Pesto:
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/8 cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 garlic clove
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground peppercorn
Instructions
For the salad:
- Peel peaches, cut in halves, remove pit. Brush lightly with olive oil.
- Place peach halves on grill over medium high heat, about 4 minutes on each side so that both sides are well marked.
- Remove peaches from grill and allow to cool, then halves into quarters or smaller and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and roast pine nuts on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and allow to cool.
- Using large mixing bowl, toss greens in olive oil, then arrange on serving platter.
- Evenly distribute peaches and mozzarella slices over greens.
- Sprinkle pine nuts over salad, add fresh ground peppercorn to taste.
- Add spoonful dollops of pesto, as prepared below, as a dressing, and evenly distribute lemon juice on top of salad and pesto.
For the pesto:
- Place fresh herb leaves in small food processor along with other ingredients.
- Process until desired consistency is achieved, adjust amount of olive oil as necessary.
Notes
This Grilled Peach Recipe in a Nutshell
- Grill the Peaches: Peel, halve, and brush peaches with olive oil, then grill on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side until they have grill marks.
- Prepare the Pesto: Blend fresh basil, mint leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small food processor until smooth.
- Assemble the Salad: Toss arugula, escarole, and watercress with olive oil, arrange on a platter, top with grilled peaches, mozzarella slices, toasted pine nuts, and dollops of mint basil pesto, then drizzle with lemon juice.
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1842IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 2mg
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