
Recipe by Chef Cindy

Although the laid-back days of summer are nearing the end with the arrival of Labor Day Weekend, there is still summer in the air when making this delicious Grilled Peach Salad with Pecans and Fig Balsamic Dressing. Try and buy your peaches when they are in season, which is when they are juiciest. Here on the east coast of the U.S., they are best July - September. I love to eat peaches whole or in appetizers, salads, desserts, and even cocktails! Now's your time to be creative and enjoy!

Making a healthy salad doesn't mean giving up on taste - it's actually quite the opposite. Look at it like an artist does when they create a painting. I love to utilize different shapes, textures, colors and of course taste. And with a salad, there are no limits to creativity. I especially love adding seasonal fruits into my salad like the peaches, blackberries and blueberries I used in this Grilled Peach Salad Recipe. You can use the raw peaches in the salad instead but grilled peaches brings the salad to a whole other level. I also add a little bit of crunch with the pecans and a kick of flavor. So go to town, get creative and enjoy a healthy salad for finish off your summer!
Tips on Grilling Peaches
It's essential to preheat the grill to get the perfect sear marks on the peaches. The ripeness of the summer peaches also makes a big difference. If they are under-ripe, they will lack in flavor. If they are overripe, they will stick to the grill pan. So try to grill them at their peak point, which is also optimal for presentation. But no matter what, this salad will taste delicious!

Peachy Panzanella - Grilled Peach & Bread Croutons
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Grilled Peach Salad with Pecans and Fig Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 cups arugula
- ½ pint blueberries
- ½ pint blackberries
- ½ red onion sliced thin
- ½ cup pecans
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon rosemary chopped
- salt & pepper
- 3 yellow peaches
- olive oil spray
Croutons:
- 5 cups bread cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Clean and prep salad ingredients - arugula (or other favorite greens), blueberries, blackberries and red onions. Set aside.
- Prepare salad dressing ingredients in a small measuring cup.
- *Optional - bake croutons if adding to the salad to make "Peachy Panzanella Salad".
- Spread pecans on a parchment lined baked°sheet. Coat with maple syrup using your hands to spread evenly. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper using more (up to ¼ teaspoon) if you want a bigger kick! Bake at 375 ° for approximately 5 minutes.
- Heat an iron cast grill pan or outdoor grill on medium heat. Cut each peach in half, removing the pit with a spoon. Spray the cut side with olive oil.
- Spray grill with olive oil. Place peaches on the grill, cut side down and cook for 3 minutes. Turn using a spatula or tongs and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Remove from grill and set aside.
- Arrange all salad ingredients in a bowl or on separate plates. Slice the peaches, top the salad with peaches and drizzle with fig dressing. Enjoy!
Dawn Thelian
This salad was absolutely delicious! I can’t decide on my favorite part… the grilled peaches, the roasted pecans, the fig balsamic dressing! It was all so yummy, I highly recommend.