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This grilled peach salad with avocados, prosciutto, cantaloupe, basil, and a simple balsamic dressing is a summertime superstar! Easy to make and bursting with sweet and savory flavors, this peachy salad is supremely refreshing, full of healthy fiber, and is a textural masterpiece.
If you’ve been looking for peach salad ideas that are simple, healthy, and affordable, you’ve landed on the right page! This dish works well as a side or main and is a crowd favorite for gatherings.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Making salad with peaches is a perfect way to incorporate this sweet and summery fruit into your menu. We’ve paired sweet grilled peaches with crisp prosciutto, creamy avocado, fragrant basil, and juicy cantaloupe for a refreshing, Italian-inspired salad you’ll fall in love with this summer.
- Peaches: Select medium-ripe peaches that are sweet yet still a bit firm.
- Olive oil: Or avocado oil. Use it to brush the grill gate and peaches before grilling.
- Prosciutto: Gives an Italian-inspired salty flavor and nice texture to the dish.
- Substitute: You can also use bacon, or omit to make a vegan salad.
- Arugula: I like this green for its peppery flavor, but use any tender baby greens you prefer.
- Avocado: Use medium-ripe avocados, sliced. Adds good fat and creaminess.
- Cantaloupe: Diced. Brings a nice, refreshing flavor and adds variety in texture.
- Fresh basil leaves: Italian basil adds a nice aroma. You can try mint or other fresh herbs too.
- Aged balsamic vinegar: I used aged balsamic for a simple dressing. If you have regular balsamic vinegar, see the recipe notes on how to make a reduction for a more intense flavor.
- Coarse sea salt
Option to add cheese
Many types of cheese pair well with peaches. If you’re not dairy-free, consider incorporating feta cheese, burrata, or mozzarella. Creamy goat cheese, gorgonzola, or blue cheese would be delicious, too!
How to make salad with grilled peaches
This salad with grilled peaches has gourmet vibes, yet it’s so easy to put together. Follow our tips for perfect grilled peaches, crispy prosciutto bites, and a simple yet flavorful balsamic dressing.
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- Prepare the peaches: Remove the pit by halving and twisting the peaches open, and removing the stone with your finger. If grilling on a skillet, quarter the peaches.
- Preheat, brush, and grill: Preheat the grill over medium heat until it’s quite hot. Brush the peaches and grill grates with oil and grill cut side down until charred. Set aside.
- Crisp the prosciutto: Crisp up the prosciutto in an oiled skillet or on the grill.
- Assemble and serve: Add arugula to a large serving bowl. Add peaches, avocado, cantaloupes, and basil. Drizzle with aged balsamic and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Top it off with prosciutto crumbles.
How to pit a peach?
I learned this simple trick from a biology Biology professor at U-Penn on how to remove a peach pit. (This works for apricots and other stone fruit, too!)
- Slice the peach: Using a paring knife, slice the peach at a right angle to the seam and all the way around the fruit.
- Twist the peach: Gently twist the peach in opposite directions so it splits into halves.
- Quarter the peach: With the half that has the stone, slice it again to make quarters.
- Remove the pit: Use your fingers to carefully remove the pit.
This technique works best when the peach is not overly ripe, which is perfect for our grilling purposes!
How to prevent peaches from sticking to the grill
- Firmness and size: Choose larger peaches that are medium-ripe for sweetness but still firm to the touch.
- Slicing: Halve the peaches for outdoor grills; for stovetop indoor grills, you can quarter them.
- Brush with oil: Lightly brush both the grill gate (or grill pan) and the cut side of the peaches with oil.
- Preheat the grill: Make sure the grill is preheated until it feels warm before you start grilling.
- Grilling time: Place the peaches cut-side down on the grill and let them cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.
- Use a spatula with a firm tip: This helps you get underneath the peaches to lift them off the grill without sticking.
What to serve with peach salad
This grilled peach and arugula salad is a wonderful side dish for any summer meal (that can easily be enjoyed as a main dish, too!) Here are some tasty pairing options from our website:
- Protein mains: Serve alongside tender bang bang chicken skewers, sweet and savory chicken yakitori skewers, or Asian marinated beef kabobs for a summertime barbecue feast.
- With pasta: Nothing says summertime like pasta salad. This broccoli pesto pasta salad is a perfect pairing to peach salad. Or try our creamy, spicy gochujang pasta to amp up the flavor!
- Summer drinks: Round out your menu with a refreshing summertime beverage, like this beautifully refreshing watermelon peach mocktail or tangy strawberry lemonade vodka drink.
Helpful tips
- Choose the Right Peaches: Select larger peaches that are medium-ripe and firm. Overripe peaches can become too soft and may fall apart on the grill.
- Proper Slicing: Halve the peaches for outdoor grills to make them easier to handle. For indoor grills, quartering them works better.
- Oil Everything: Lightly brush both the grill gate (or grill pan) and the cut side of the peaches with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Preheat Thoroughly: Ensure the grill is fully preheated before placing the peaches on it. This helps achieve those beautiful grill marks and prevents sticking.
- Grill Undisturbed: Once you place the peaches cut-side down, avoid moving them for 3-4 minutes. This allows them to caramelize and develop a nice char.
- Use a Firm-Tip Spatula: A spatula with a firm tip helps you get underneath the peaches to lift them off the grill without tearing.
- Balance Flavors: Adjust the quantities of arugula, basil, and balsamic vinegar to suit your taste. The sweetness of the peaches pairs perfectly with the peppery arugula and tangy balsamic.
FAQs
It’s best to use medium-ripe peaches that are firm to the touch. Unripe peaches may not have enough sweetness and can be too hard, while overripe peaches can become too soft and fall apart on the grill.
To quickly ripen peaches, place them in a brown paper bag and fold the top closed. Add an apple or banana to the bag to speed up the process. The ethylene gas released by these fruits helps the peaches ripen faster. Check them daily until they reach your desired ripeness.
No, you don’t need to remove the skin when grilling peaches. The skin helps hold the fruit together and adds a nice texture. Plus, it becomes tender and slightly caramelized when grilled, adding to the overall flavor of this grilled peach salad recipe.
More refreshing salad recipes you might like
If you’re feeling inspired by our grilled peach summer salad, be sure to check out some of our other popular warm-weather recipes!
- Napa cabbage slaw with miso ginger dressing is a dairy-free, low-carb slaw with snow peas, scallion, and radicchio—made without mayo!
- Smoked salmon salad with crisp baby greens, soft-boiled eggs, and a creamy caper chive dressing that is finger-licking good.
- Gomaae Japanese spinach salad is a wilted spinach salad with a creamy, mayo-free roasted sesame dressing. Simple and delicious!
Grilled peach salad recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3-4 large peaches each weight about 5.5 oz., medium-ripe but firm
- Drizzle Olive oil
- 4-5 pieces prosciutto
- 3 cups arugula loosely packed
- 2 large avocado medium-ripe, sliced
- 12 oz. diced cantaloupes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves loosely packed
- 2-3 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar or to taste
Instructions
To remove peach stone:
- To halve the peach: Using a paring knife, slice the peach at a right angle to the seam and all the way around the fruit. Gently twist the peach in opposite directions so it splits into half.
- To quarter the peach: With the side that has a peach stone, slice it again so it splits into quarters. Remove the pit with your fingers.
- Use your hand to carefully remove the peach stone.
Preheat, Brush, and Grill:
- Preheat the grill on medium-heat. In the meantime, Lightly brush the peaches with olive oil over the cut sides.
- To the grill, place peaches, cut sides down, grill uncovered, until the peaches are well charred, about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until you have grill marks. Set them aside to cool.
Prosciutto:
- In the meantime, crisp up the prosciutto over a skillet with little oil or grill them until crisp.
To assemble:
- Add arugula to a large serving plate along with peach slices. Add avocado, cantaloupes, and basil. Drizzle with aged balsamic and a dash of olive oil. Top it off with prosciutto crumbles.
Notes
- Peach slices: Halve for outdoor grills, quarter for indoor grill pans.
- Adjust ingredients: Feel free to tweak the quantities of arugula, basil, and balsamic vinegar.
- Substitute prosciutto: Use crispy bacon if desired.
- Balsamic reduction: Double the balsamic vinegar and reduce over low heat to a syrupy texture if you only have regular balsamic vinegar.
- Alternative greens: Baby spinach, butter lettuce, or any tender baby greens work well.
- Additional toppings: Candied walnuts, cashews, almonds, or pine nuts.
- Storage: For best results, pack grilled peaches separately from greens and combine before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What a great summer lunch!! I’d sprinkle some feta on top and call that a meal!
That sounds awesome!
I LOVE grilled peaches! I am excited to make your salad. I’ve made similar but this combination is
sure to be a delight to share with family+ friends! Thanks for passing along the ‘peach tip’ !!! Fabulous!
Grilled peaches are the absolute best! They go so well with pork!
I made the salad ! Loved it !!! Thank you so much ! I skipped basil because my family is not into it , but otherwise followed it to the dot . Absolutely delish and fresh for hot summer days ! Will definitely make it again !
So happy to hear!
Grilled peaches are so delicious! What a lovely way to enjoy them, so may tasty ingredients in this salad!