Peach, Avocado, & Basil Summer Salad

8/22/2019

Peach, Avocado, & Basil Summer Salad

It feels like I've been living on juicy, fruity summer salads these days. If I had to pick any fruit to add to a salad, it would definitely be peaches or nectarines. When you get them perfectly ripe in the summer, they seriously taste like candy and add so much deliciousness and sweetness (and gorgeous color!) to a salad. We went to a barbeque at my friend Reisa's house recently, and she made a peach salad with avocado, snap peas, tomatoes, basil, and toasted pine nuts, and I knew I had to recreate it immediately. It was the perfect combination of flavors and textures all tossed in a lemon dijon dressing which was amazing. So while this salad is named the Peach,  Avocado, & Basil Summer Salad (purely for the sake of searching on google), it should truly be named the Peacha Reisa Salad after the lovely lady that inspired it!

When it comes to making an amazing salad, I'm a firm believer that more is more when it comes to toppings. I like to load it up with as much texture, crunch, and flavor as possible, so don't skimp on adding in lots of fresh ingredients! I also feel like the beauty of a big salad is that you don't really have to measure... a handful of tomatoes here, a bunch of chopped cucumbers there, a generous sprinkle of toasted nuts on top... you really can't mess it up (although, I'll give you actual measurements in the recipe just in case)! For the dressing, you can also keep it pretty simple. I've made this salad with just a good-quality extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of half a lemon, and salt and pepper, and I've also made it with the lemon dijon dressing, and I have to say, both were great, so don't overcomplicate it too much and just pick what works for you!

In the beginning of my pregnancy, you really couldn't pay me to eat a salad. All I wanted were carbs and cheese on repeat. I'm so grateful that now I'm totally craving these refreshing summer salads and tons of veggies - I could literally eat this salad every day! I know you'll love it too!

Ingredients
For the salad:
4 big handfuls or cups of chopped romaine or mixed greens
2 peaches or nectarines, sliced
1 large avocado, sliced
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced 
1/2 cup snap peas, chopped 
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh basil

For the Lemon Dijon Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4.  

1. Toast the pine nuts. Place pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat (no need to spray or oil the skillet). Stir the pine nuts until they get toasty and golden, about 3 minutes or so. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you prefer it with some sweetness, you can add 1-2 tsp raw honey.
3. In a large salad bowl, add the greens, then top with the peaches, cucumbers, avocado, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes. 
4. Toss with the dressing, then garnish the salad with pine nuts and basil over the top. Enjoy!

Doesn't get much more summery than this right!? With just a couple weeks left of my favorite season, we need to soak up as many of these juicy recipes as possible while we still can! Enjoy!