One of the best ways to enjoy local summer produce is in a tossed salad. This yummy salad is loaded with fresh local greens, local peaches and goat cheese in a creamy sweet and tangy vinaigrette. Enjoy this delicious salad on it’s own or as a side!
Love a summer salad with all the fresh greens, vegetables and fruit!! The possibilities are endless when you start creating a recipe with so many options and choices. The local peaches just became available and I couldn’t resist adding them to this salad. Honestly, this salad came together by clearing out my refrigerator of vegetables that needed to be used up. The vinaigrette is simple with a creamy texture and a flavour of sweetness from the honey and tanginess from the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. A perfect combination of ingredients and flavour to enjoy with grilled meats, fish or on it’s own as a light lunch.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
- String beans: I used a combination of green and yellow beans
- Greens: my choices were organic baby spinach and romaine lettuce
- Broccoli
- Cucumber
- Radishes
- Red onion
- Walnuts: I glazed them with butter and honey
- Goat cheese: feta could be substituted
- Fresh dill
HELPFUL TIPS
- String beans should be blanched slightly then set in ice cold water to bring out it’s colour and preserve it’s crispy texture.
- Wash and add greens to a spinner to remove extra water content and allow them to dry before making salad.
- To make honey glazed walnuts, melt teaspoon of butter in small skillet and then add walnuts and 1 tablespoon of honey. Simmer for a few minutes, long enough to see the walnuts have a glaze on them. Remove from pan and transfer the walnuts to a plate to harden.
Drizzle the creamy yummy vinaigrette over this delicious summer salad. I recommend to add the vinaigrette just before serving to prevent the greens from getting limp.
I would love to hear from you with a comment once you make this salad recipe.
FAQ
Can I substitute the vegetables in this recipe? Yes you can, I used a variety of vegetables but only a few, and other vegetables can be easily substituted, such as peppers, tomatoes or cauliflower are options. You can either use all romaine lettuce or add other greens to apt up the flavours, texture and colour.
Is dill important to add to this dish? I love dill and I will add it to many of my recipes, I guess it’s a Hungarian thing, we use it a lot in our dishes. But if you don’t have dill, then you can add basil or parsley.
WHAT TO PAIR WITH THIS DELICIOUS SUMMER SALAD
Fresh Summer Green Salad with Peaches and Goat Cheese
Equipment
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup string beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
- 2 cups baby organic spinach
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 cup organic broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, honey glazed (optional)
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- fresh dill for garnishing
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place string beans on a microwave safte plate with a few drops of water. Lay paper towel on top and blanch the beans for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and rinse quickly with cold water and set aside.
- Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add greens, broccoli, cucumber, radishes, red onion and beans. Pour in the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Add the goat cheese, walnuts and fresh dill. Serve cold. Enjoy!
