Grilled Peach Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

You guys…..!  It’s peach season! Did you hear me? Peaches! That means it’s summer and the best time of year, in my humble opinion. Every summer I enjoy peaches by tossing them on the grill and serving them a la mode with some crushed nuts, and if I’m feeling really indulgent, a little bourbon caramel sauce. I hear your Amen’s. But, this summer I came up with a healthier, savory way to enjoy my grilled peaches and I love it equally. This grilled peach salad with blueberry vinaigrette is made complete with crispy kale, ripe avocado, crumbled feta and a shallot mignonette (yes, inspired by this cauliflower recipe I posted a few weeks ago).

Let me just take a second to share the various reasons I love this salad.

First, the peaches. In-season fruit always tastes best. And grilled peaches rock. Period.

I’ll share a little tip here. While halved peaches without the pit look really gorgeous, removing pits can be tedious and annoying. So I skip that effort by simply slicing my peaches in fourths, cutting straight passed the pit on all sides.

Second, reason I love this salad is the feta cheese. A salty, savory cheese pairs perfectly with sweet fruit.

Thirdly, avocado. ‘Nuff said!

Fourth, crispy kale. Every great salad needs contrasting texture, and the crisped up kale compliments the creamy avocado perfectly. You’ll see.

Another tip here, the kale leaves require baking. But it’s quick and simple. Use your hands to tear the leaves off the stems into small 1-2 inch pieces. When they bake, they will shrink considerably. After they cool completely, you can even store them in an airtight container for a day, so you can make them ahead of time if you want to get the oven-time out of the way.

Finally, I love this salad so much because of the big, bold FLAVOR! The blueberry vinaigrette is sweet and tangy while the shallot mignonette is punchy and vibrant. Together they make a flavor bomb. This aint no wimpy salad, let me tell ya! So get to it. Grill up some peaches and enjoy them sweet or savory all summer long!

Grilled Peach Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

• Author: Emily Wilson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Grilled peaches are a summer favorite. Toss together with avocado, feta, crispy kale and blueberry vinaigrette to make them irresistible.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Salad:

• 4 cups kale leaves, torn into 1–2” pieces
• 5 peaches, sliced
• 1+1+2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small shallot, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Blueberry Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup blueberry jam
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4–1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear kale leaves off of the stems into 1-2” pieces. Scatter on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat evenly.
2. Set kale in the oven and roast until leaves are dehydrated and crisp, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Slice peaches into quarters, cutting around the pit in the middle. Brush cut sides with olive oil and season with salt.
4. Set a grill pan over medium-high heat. Once surface is hot, set the peaches on top, flesh side down. Sear until grill marks form, about 3 minutes. For crosshatch grill marks, rotate peaches 90 degrees and cook until the second set of grill marks form.
5. If your peaches are very firm, you can flip the peaches and cook on the skin side for 2-3 minutes as well. However, if your peaches are already quite soft, skip cooking the skin side in order to keep a firm enough texture. Transfer cooked peaches to a plate and let cool.
6. In a small bowl, combine the sliced shallots, red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
7. To make the vinaigrette, combine the blueberry jam, rice wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the lid on tight, then shake vigorously to combine. Check taste. If vinaigrette is too tangy for your taste, add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, then shake to combine again.
8. To build the salad, drizzle some of the blueberry vinaigrette on the bottom of four bowls. Arrange 3 or 4 slices of peaches on top, then arrange pieces of avocado around the peaches. Drizzle the shallot-vinegar mixture over the top, then scatter some feta and crispy kale leaves to finish. 

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