Grilled Peach and Spinach Salad
This grilled peach and spinach salad is so simple, and like all of my composed salad recipes can be followed exactly or used as inspiration and embellished. Fresh tart peaches make a great vinaigrette and I love to grill them and pair them with creamy burrata cheese. And that vinaigrette is perfect on a spinach and fennel salad. I grill the fennel and marinate it in the dressing and the end result is fantastic. I use spinach in this version, but the tartness of the peach vinaigrette pairs well with arugula, mustard greens, dandelion greens, think any peppery or bitter green. Enjoy this salad as a meatless entree or add my Pecan Crusted Chicken Fritters to make it a one dish meal!
- 1 whole peach
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cups canola oil (or other salad oil)
- 2 tablespoons peach preserves (or apricot)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 pinch ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 each fresh peaches
- 1 each fennel bulb
- 2 ounces red bell pepper, julienne
- 12 ounces spinach leaves
- 8 each radicchio leaves (or other leafy salad green)
- 4 each pecan crusted chicken tenders (Pecan Crusted Chicken Fritters)
Score an x in the skin on the bottom of the peach.
Blanch in boiling water until skin is loose and can easily peel away from peach.
Shock peach in a small bowl of ice water.
Peel and pit peach and place peach halves in an immersion blender
Peel and pit peach and place peach halves in an immersion blender canister or blender.
Add all ingredients except parsley.
Puree mixture until fully emulsified.
Stir in parsley and refrigerate.
Halve peaches and toss in a drizzle of olive oil.
Quarter fennel bulb and toss in a drizzle of olive oil and season.
Grill peach halves and fennel quarters quickly on medium high heat until they have nice grill marks but remain firm. Chill for 15 minutes.
When chilled, cut peaches into wedges and julienne fennel.
Toss separately in two ounces of peach vinaigrette and set aside.
Place spinach and radicchio or selected salad greens in bowl.
Add 2/3 of peaches and fennel and all of red pepper.
Toss with 4 ounces of peach vinaigrette and divide onto four plates.
Divide burrata into an even number of pieces and top each salad.
Garnish with remaining peach wedges and fennel.
Drizzle with 2 ounces of peach vinaigrette.
If desired, pair with Pecan Crusted Chicken Fritters