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Grilled Peach Salad
5 from 9 votes

Grilled Peach Salad

This Grilled Peach Salad recipe features fresh vegetables and basil, chewy little bites of fresh mozzarella, and sweet, juicy peaches that are grilled to caramelized perfection. Dressed in a bright lemon-honey vinaigrette, it's a salad celebration of fresh color and flavor!

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Salad

Ingredients

Dressing
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Morton brand
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper finely ground
Salad
  • 3 large peaches see Notes, ripe yet firm
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the peaches
  • 3 cups spring greens mixed
  • 2 cups cherry tomato halved
  • 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls or halved cherry-size balls
  • ¼ cup red onion thin slices
  • ¼ cup basil small fresh leaves
  • black pepper to taste, Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  • sea salt to taste, Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Dressing
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and shake vigorously to combine - or simply whisk everything together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Salad
  1. Slice peaches in half and remove the pits. Then cut each half into 3-4 thick wedges. Lightly brush all cut sides with olive oil.
  2. Heat grill to medium-high heat, then brush clean grill grates liberally with oil. Add peaches, cut-side down. Grill for about 1-3 minutes, undisturbed, until distinct grill marks develop. Depending on the ripeness of your peaches, grill either both cut sides or just 1 cut side of each peach wedge (do not over-cook, or they can become mushy). Use a very thin metal spatula to gently lift the peaches from underneath, to preserve those gorgeous grill marks, and transfer them to a plate. Let peaches cool a bit while you assemble the salad.
  3. Place greens on a large platter, in an even layer. Add tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and red onion.
  4. Shake or whisk the dressing to combine, then drizzle as much as you like over the salad.
  5. Top the salad with the grilled peaches, nestling them in here and there.
  6. Finish the salad with a sprinkle of small fresh basil leaves, plus a bit of sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Serve right away.

Notes

  • How to prevent peaches from sticking to grill:
  • Use ripe yet firm peaches. The peaches need to be ripe and sweet, or this salad is not going to be worth your effort! They should be firm, with a bit of softness and give. I like to buy them when they're still a bit hard, then let them ripen on our kitchen counter: place the peaches stem-side down inside a brown paper bag and fold the bag shut. Let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 1-3 days, checking every day. 
  • Go for bigger peaches. It's always easier to handle larger pieces of peach when grilling, so choose larger peaches. Slice them in half first, then slice each half into 3-4 thick wedges. If your only choice is smaller peaches, you might want to simply slice the peaches into halves or quarters only.
  • Clean the grill grates. Heat up the grill and then scrub the grates absolutely clean. 
  • Oil the grill grates & peaches. Brush the grates and the cut sides of the peaches with olive oil.  
  • Use medium-high heat. Peaches have a good amount of natural sugar and they're tender, so they're going to want to stick to the grates. Using a higher grill temperature will help to create char marks on the peaches faster, which will enable easier flipping.
  • Refrain from flipping too soon. Let the peaches develop distinct charred lines before flipping. Depending on your peaches and grill heat, this usually takes 1-3 minutes. I also caution to not over-cook peaches so they become mushy!
  • Use a thin spatula. I recommend grabbing a very thin metal spatula. If your peaches are sticking, this tool helps to lift up the peaches. Take care when flipping, so you don't rip the peach away from the charred grilled marks.