Peach Blackberry Salad with Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette

The best part of summer is all the amazing produce that comes to life. With the abundance of fruits and veggies, my favorite meals – salads – really come to life. This Peach Blackberry Salad is a perfect example of summer’s best bounty.

It combines gorgeous baby spinach and baby arugula, as well as two of the best summer fruits – peaches and blackberries. Combine those with a few other ingredients and a delicious homemade blackberry vinaigrette, and you have something really special.

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The best part of salads – beside being a good way to get some added vegetables into your family’s diet – is that they come together really quickly and easily. You can definitely make this peach blackberry salad in less than 30 minutes, including cooking a protein to make it more meal-like. It would be delicious with chicken, grilled shrimp, or even some salmon.

Meal sized salads are one of my favorite meals to make in the summer. Chopped salads are great, as are cobb salads. I also really like to combine unexpected ingredients, like watermelon and feta.

The Peach Blackberry Salad has a great combo of flavors. With the earthiness of the the spinach, and peppery arugula, it offsets the sweetness of the peaches. Add in the creamy, tangy goat cheese and tartly sweet blackberries, and you have something really special. This would be delicious served with Sweet Peach Iced Tea.

This one also has it’s own homemade vinaigrette salad dressing. The Blackberry Basil Vinaigrette is better when made the day before you want to use it. It allows time for the flavors to meld and really come together. I often put homemade vinaigrette salad dressings in a small mason jar in the fridge. Then I can shake them really well before serving.

Peach Blackberry Salad with Blackberry Basil Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

There are a couple things you’ll want to make this Peach Blackberry Salad with Blackberry Basil Vinaigrette. The first is a small food processor. It makes making salad dressings so much easier. I like about a 3 or 4 cup capacity food processor. You can also use a hand blender. Second, you’ll want a large strainer to help wash all your produce. It’s an easy way to make sure your salad greens have been washed. simply load it up, wash your greens, making sure to toss them well in the strainer. Give it a couple wiggles and shakes over the sink to get the excess water out. Then, set it on a flour sack towel to dry completely.

Peach Blackberry Salad with Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette

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Ingredients

• ½ c. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ c. champagne vinegar
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 3 T. honey, preferably local
• 4-5 large blackberries, rinsed
• 1 T. fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Salad

• 2 C Baby Spinach
• 2 C Baby Arugula
• 2 large ripe peaches, sliced
• 1 C Blackberries, washed and patted dry.
• 1/2 C Walnuts, roughly chopped
• 4 oz Goat Cheese, crumbled
• Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

1.    Add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, blackberries, and basil to a food processor container. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and process on high until thoroughly emulsified. Taste and add additional honey, salt, and/or black pepper, if desired. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2. Add the spinach and arugula to a large bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter and top with sliced peaches, fresh blackberries, walnuts, and goat cheese

3.    Garnish with sprigs of fresh basil and drizzle some of the blackberry-basil vinaigrette on top. Serve immediately with remaining vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 510Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 255mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 5gSugar: 23gProtein: 9g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy, and may not be accurate.