I love fruit in a salad. Tomatoes may be a natural pair for basil in a caprese salad, but I think peaches pair just as well. I absolutely love fresh basil, and it’s subtle sweetness lends itself to be paired with fruit. I use the freshest summer peaches for my peach, prosciutto, and basil salad and now in this cucumber, peach, arugula salad. This salad has a tasty lemon-basil vinaigrette that would be delicious on any salad. The ingredients of this salad are perfect together: peaches, cucumber, and arugula all topped with a freshly made dressing and then sprinkled with feta cheese and toasted almonds.
Arugula is my favorite salad green. There’s a restaurant near our first apartment together that served the best salad with their brunch. It was just arugula, goat cheese, toasted cashews, and a balsamic glaze. It was so simple but the arugula was the perfect! A little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, arugula salads are great for summer and it pairs so well with the peaches and crunchy Persian cucumbers in this salad.
Sometimes I get annoyed when salad dressings require an extra step beyond just whisking ingredients together. Things like mincing garlic or using my food processor can seem like a lot of work. But this vinaigrette is absolutely worth it. Make a double batch to use on another salad, or use it as a marinade for chicken on the grill. It’s a perfect blend that’s herby and bright with lemon and basil, but also toned down with a touch of sweetness from honey. Really, you can’t go wrong with this lemon basil vinaigrette. I like to enjoy this salad as a meal all by itself for a light lunch, but it’s a great summer side dish and an easy summer dinner served with your favorite grilled protein.
- 4-5 big handfuls fresh arugula
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 3 peaches, sliced
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup toasted chopped almonds
- Additional fresh basil leaves for topping
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. honey
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Place arugula in a large bowl and top with cumbers and peaches.
- In a food processor, place lemon, basil, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Blend until very smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Top with feta cheese, toasted almonds, and fresh basil leaves.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
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[…] but those recipes aren’t impossible to replicate at home! I’ve always loved fruit in salads; nothing like some crisp apple or ripe pear on top of a bed of spring greens! To make it work, you […]