This light grilled peach salad makes for an easy weeknight side dish to practically everything! Slice fresh peaches into wedges, then grill on both sides, just until tender and softened. Serve on top of fresh baby arugula with crunchy pecans, crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola, and a sweet and tangy homemade honey mustard vinaigrette.
These clean, light flavors pair so well together, and you’ll feel great about serving your family a meal with high quality ingredients. Here’s why we love this salad so much:
- Healthy! Peaches are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, are heart healthy, and aid with digestion. Yes, please!
- Enhanced peach flavor! By grilling fresh peaches, you really change the flavor profile of the fruit. Grilling them brings out their natural sweetness, but adds a smoky char that we all love from grilling food.
- Texture! Between the crunchy pecans, creamy blue cheese, crisp arugula, and tender grilled peaches, this salad has amazing texture.
- Flavor! The combination of sweet honey mustard vinaigrette with delicate peaches and tangy, blue cheese is a total match made in heaven. Not too tart, not too sweet, just right.
Ingredient Notes
- Baby arugula (or baby spinach)
- Freestone peaches that are firm — if they’re too ripe, they’ll fall apart or cook too quickly on the grill
- Blue cheese — a contrast to the sweet grilled peaches and spicy arugula (feel free to substitute with gorgonzola, not gorgonzola dolce)
- Pecans — love that crunch!
- Fresh herbs, such as chives, dill, and basil
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
For the honey mustard vinagirette:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Champagne vinegar (or other light vinegar)
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
You will likely have leftover salad dressing — put it on everything from grilled meats to sandwiches to a marinade for olives or cheese!
How To Select A Good Peach
- Smell the peach to see if it has a light, sweet, peachy aroma. ✔️
- Look the peach over to make sure it is unblemished and has no bruises. ✔️
- Squeeze very gently! The peach should have the slightest give to it. Don’t squeeze too hard, it’ll bruise! ✔️
- Feel the weight of the peach. You want to select peaches that feel heavy for its size, not too light. ✔️
How To Make A Grilled Peach Salad
- Make the honey mustard vinaigrette. Combine extra virgin olive oil, Champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a mason jar, then seal tightly. Shake until well mixed, then set aside until needed.
- Remove the pit from peaches. Use a sharp knife to cut into the peach until it hits the pit. Leave the knife in and carefully rotate the peach all the way around, ensuring that the knife is hitting the peach pit the entire time. Set the knife aside, then use your hands to twist the peach open, revealing the pit inside. The pit should pull out easily with your fingers. If there’s any resistance, use a paring knife to gently loosen the pit a bit before lifting and discarding.
- Grill the peaches. Preheat a grill over medium heat. Lightly brush each halved peach with olive oil, then place cut side down onto the grill grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, undisturbed. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
- Assemble the salad. Place arugula on a large plate, then top with grilled peaches (either whole or cut into slices). Top with crumbled blue cheese, chopped pecans, and finely chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle honey mustard vinaigrette on top (or serve on the side), then serve immediately with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of each peach.
Expert Tips
- Use firm peaches. Ripe peaches have more sugar and are more like to fall apart while grilling and/or cook too quickly.
- Make sure your grill is super clean! The easiest way to prevent the peaches from sticking to the grill grates is to start with a hot, clean grill. We love this grill brush and use it all the time!
- Cook over medium heat! You’ll want to cook the peaches undisturbed to get those beautiful grill marks. This takes time, so cook the peaches for 4-5 minutes per side without fussing with them (otherwise no pretty grill marks!).
- Buy freestone peaches (or cling-free peaches) where the flesh is not attached to the pit. This makes the pit much easier to remove. Clingstone peaches, by comparison, cling to the pit more and are better for eating straight versus cooking or baking with.
Make Ahead and Storage
This salad is definitely best enjoyed fresh. If you are hoping to get a head start on meal prep for the week, grill the peaches up to 3 days in advance, then store in an airtight container. Assemble the remaining salad components just before serving, but never dress a salad before you sit down to eat it, or the greens will wilt!
And if you’re planning to eat outside (love dining al fresco!), bring the salad out at the last minute, right before you dress it. That way the heat doesn’t wilt the greens before you sit down to eat.
We think you’ll love the sweet, tangy combination of blue cheese, grilled peaches, and the best ever honey mustard vinaigrette. This one is a must make!!
If you make this Peach Salad recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below! Have leftover peaches? Use them in this peach burrata salad with truffle oil!
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More light, summer recipes to try!
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken Israeli Salad Broccoli Salad Grilled Lobster Tails and Clams Pecan Chicken Salad Cucumber Slices with Salmon & Yogurt Sauce
Grilled Peach Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the honey mustard vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 2 peaches firm
- 3 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped herbs such as chives, dill, and basil
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Make the honey mustard vinaigrette. Combine ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper in a mason jar, then seal tightly. Shake until well mixed, then set aside until needed.
- Remove the pit from peaches. Use a sharp knife to cut into the peach until it hits the pit. Leave the knife in and carefully rotate the peach all the way around, ensuring that the knife is hitting the peach pit the entire time. Set the knife aside, then use your hands to twist the peach open, revealing the pit inside. The pit should pull out easily with your fingers. If there's any resistance, use a paring knife to gently loosen the pit a bit before lifting and discarding.
- Grill the peaches. Preheat a grill over medium heat. Lightly brush each halved peach with olive oil, then place cut side down onto the grill grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, undisturbed. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
- Assemble the salad. Place arugula on a large plate, then top with grilled peaches (either whole or cut into slices). Top with crumbled blue cheese, chopped pecans, and finely chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle honey mustard vinaigrette on top (or serve on the side), then serve immediately with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of each peach.
Notes
- You will likely have leftover salad dressing — put it on everything from grilled meats to sandwiches to a marinade for olives or cheese!
- This recipe is written for freestone peaches, or cling-free peaches, where the flesh is not attached to the pit. This makes the pit much easier to remove. Clingstone peaches, by comparison, cling to the pit more and are better for eating straight versus cooking or baking with.
Let us know your thoughts!