This grilled peach salad is perfect for a light summer lunch or a side for your favorite grilled meats. It's prepared using a homemade sweet, spicy balsamic vinaigrette and air-fried spiced pecans in just 20 minutes.
Leafy green salads are traditionally absent from Pakistani cuisine. Our palate is accustomed to richly spiced curries, heavily laden with meat and vegetables. However, I love salads and am always trying to find ways to incorporate them into my family's diet.
I like to add some of the bold flavors I'm accustomed to enjoying by making my dressings from scratch. The sweet and spicy pecans, made from scratch, add bold flavor and texture to this salad.
I love this grilled peach salad with chicken malai tikka, easy chicken tikka boti, or tandoori chicken.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Nutritious meal - This salad is so delicious it's hard to remember that it's also very healthy.
- Bold flavor—The homemade dressing and toasted pecans, which use spices and flavors inherent in Pakistani cuisine, make this salad anything but boring.
- Perfect summer recipe: Fresh, juicy peaches, seasonal blueberries, and crispy greens combine to create a refreshing meal for the heat.
- Make-ahead recipe - Prepare the dressing and pecans a day or two ahead of time. Grill the peaches a few hours before serving the salad, and assemble everything before eating it.
Ingredient notes
While this salad may seem complicated, most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are easy to source, and everything comes together quickly.
The salad ingredients
- The greens—Use your favorite mix of greens. Arugula and spinach are my favorites, but whatever is available at the supermarket works. Add some microgreens for a nutritious and beautiful finish.
- The fruit - The blueberries add flavor and color to this grilled peach salad.
- The dressing - A sweet and spicy homemade balsamic vinaigrette adds a punch that makes this salad unforgettable.
- The pecans - Homemade spiced pecans add texture and a contrast in flavor.
The dressing ingredients
- Oil & Vinegar - Infused oils and vinegar are a great way to create salad dressings from scratch. With no additives or preservatives, this full-bodied dressing is healthier than store-bought.
- Serrano - Crushed serrano chilies add an earthy, smoky, and spicy taste.
- Honey - Sweet honey adds density and balances all the other flavors.
- Lime - Tart and tangy fresh lime juice brings the dressing to a perfect finish.
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Spiced pecan ingredients
- Pecans—Living in Mississippi, I've grown to love pecans and find them perfect for this grilled peach salad.
- Oil - For the toasted pecans, Use extra light virgin olive oil, as it has a high smoke point. Alternate options are provided in the recipe card if this is not available.
- Seasoning - Salt and paprika are combined to season the nuts.
- Sugar - Dark brown sugar adds a depth of flavor, while confectioner sugar helps absorb moisture and keeps the nuts crispy.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Use different nuts - Walnuts or pistachios make great substitutes for the pecans in this grilled peach salad.
- Add maple syrup - Swap the honey for maple syrup to make this salad vegan.
- Switch up the fruits - Use nectarines and blackberries instead of peaches and blueberries.
- Garnish with edible flowers - These are a beautiful addition to any salad, and I love adding them whenever possible.
Step-by-step instructions
First step - Place the pecan halves in a small mixing bowl. Add all the dry ingredients, tossing well to mix.
Second step - Add in the oil next and mix well. Spread the nuts on a foil-lined air fryer tray and cook for 5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Third step - Crush the serrano chilies in a mortar and pestle and mix them with all the other ingredients for the dressing. Whisk well and set aside.
Fourth step - Slice each peach into eight slices, with the skin on. Preheat a grill pan with non-stick spray and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Expert Tips
- Choose the right peaches - Buy slightly firm peaches for this grilled peach salad, as they are easier to handle.
- Get those grill marks - Don't flip the slices too soon to ensure that you get proper sear marks on both sides.
- Let the peaches rest - After grilling, let them sit for a few minutes to soften and release some natural juices. Add this juice to the grilled peach salad for a more intense peach flavor.
- Use some fat - Adding some oil or, at a minimum, some nonstick spray helps prevent the peaches from sticking to the grill pan.
Recipe FAQS
Add some chicken, fish, or steak to the salad for a heartier meal. If you want to keep the salad meat-free, try feta, goat cheese, or blue cheese. If you're looking for a vegan option, add chickpeas, edamame, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, or flaxseed.
Grilling the peaches releases their natural sugars. As these sugars rise to the surface, they get caramelized, adding an intense flavor. I highly recommend spending a few extra minutes and grilling them.
The pecans can be toasted in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or cooked in a skillet. Add all of the ingredients to the skillet and let the sugar melt. Toss in the nuts and cook for 3-5 minutes until the nuts are coated with the mixture and smell toasted. Remove onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and let the nuts cool before using.
It's best to eat the salad within an hour of making it as it can get soggy the longer it sits. I usually store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge and the nuts in a Ziploc bag on the kitchen counter for up to 2 weeks and assemble the salad as needed.
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Grilled Peach Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
Air Fryer Spiced Pecans
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (see notes)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp confectioners sugar (see notes)
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
Sweet & Spicy Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 serrano chili pepper (see notes)
- 1 lime
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp mustard
- ¼ cup honey (see notes)
- 2 tbsp extra light virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp chili infused olive oil (see notes)
- 2 tbsp pomegranate balsamic vinegar (see notes)
Grilled Peach & Blueberry Salad
- 4 cups baby spinach & arugula mix
- ½ cup microgreens (optional)
- ½ cup sweet & spicy honey balsamic vinaigrette
- nonstick spray
- 2 peaches (see notes)
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup air fryer spiced pecans (see notes)
Instructions
Air Fryer Spiced Pecans
- Measure 1 cup Pecan halves into a mixing bowl
- Add in the olive oil, salt, paprika, confectioners sugar and brown sugar and toss well
- Line your air fryer basket with some foil and spread the mixture on it
- Cook @ 300° Fahrenheit for 5 minutes to toast the pecans.
- Take out of the air fryer and set aside to cool before using.
Sweet & Spicy Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Roughly chop the serrano chili and mash it using a mortar and pestle. (see notes)
- Squeeze the juice of the lime and mix it with the crushed chili.
- Add in all of the other ingredients and whisk well. (see notes)
Grilled Peach & Blueberry Salad
- Mix the salad mix and the micro greens and toss with the dressing.
- Heat a grill pan and spray with the non stick spray
- Slice the peaches and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side till you get the desired sear marks, and then set them aside to cool slightly. (see notes)
- Add the blueberries and pecans.
- Gently scatter the peaches and drizzle any juice on the salad to give it extra flavor.
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