Summer Peach Salad with Almonds and Feta {gf + paleo + vegan option}

This summer peach salad with almonds and feta cheese is the ultimate summer salad! Made with tender salad greens, sweet peaches, toasted almonds, salty feta cheese, and dressed in a crave worthy mustardy dressing. Delicious, SO easy to make, and easily adapted to be both paleo and vegan!

A quick note on this recipe! The original version of this post was published back in 2015. Since then I’ve re-tested the recipe, updated the photographs, and the content. I’m republishing it for you today to enjoy! I hope you continue to make and love this delicious peach salad. xo

Ok. So if I’m being honest this is probably not the LAST salad that I am going to call the ultimate summer salad this season.

#knowthyself

BUT, this is the ultimate summer salad of the moment because…

Peach season has started to get reaaaaal good. They’re on sale and they’re getting sweeter and sweeter by the DAY, which means – it is TIME to make a summer peach salad!

How do you guys feel about the whole fruit in your salad if it’s not a fruit salad thing?

Honestly I am a little bit picky about fruit in my salad.

Strawberries? Yes, although it kind of depends on what else is in the salad (this exact recipe would actually be really good with strawberries instead of peaches and a balsamic vinaigrette instead of a mustardy dressing!)

Apples? With a flavorful fall vinaigrette and some nuts – I’m in.

Blueberries? Sometimes.

But Peaches? Always, always.

When you find the sweetest, ripest peach you can get your hands on and pair it with some crunchy toasted almonds and a healthy crumble of tangy feta cheese, MAGIC HAPPENS.

I love peaches so much that they were actually one of the more reactive foods that showed up on my MRT food sensitivity test several years ago. Actually that sentence doesn’t make the most sense. Let me re-phrase.

I THINK that peaches showed up on my MRT food sensitivity test because I’ve eaten so many damn peaches in my life! I’m not sure if it’s proven or not but some people think that if you eat TOO much of a food, eventually your body will develop some sort of inflammatory response to it.

So I took the last THREE years off of eating peaches. AKA way too long 😭 but this is the summer that I give them a try again.

I’m taking it slow (maybe only about 3 peaches in right now 😝) but so far… SO GOOD! And I could not be more stoked.

Especially since it means more nights with this summer peach salad with almonds and feta cheese!

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How to make this summer peach salad with toasted almonds and feta

When the ingredients are in primo season, the best part about making salad is how dang simple it is!

Just a little bit of chopping and prep work makes this recipe come together in no time at all.

If you have a cooking buddy in the kitchen and one person preps salad while the other person makes the rest of dinner you’ll be digging into seasonal salad bliss before you can say “you’re a peach” 😉

The only trick to note is to wait to dress the salad until just before you’re ready to dig in.

Tender greens will get soft and soggy if they’re dressed too early. But the salad itself could be assembled ahead of time and kept separate from the dressing in a covered container until you’re ready to serve it up.

The ingredients you need are:

• Tender salad greens – arugula, baby romaine, baby kale, or baby spinach will all work
• A ripe peach
• Toasted almonds – toast them at home or buy them already toasted at the store for a shortcut. Roughly chop them up before adding to the salad for a the perfect crunch.
• Thinly sliced red onion – this could easily be left out for non-onion-lovers, but I think they’re delicious here! If you want to keep them in the recipe but mellow them out a little bit toss them in the mustardy dressing about 10 minutes before dressing the salad. This is a great trick to take a little bit of the bite out of raw onions in any recipe.
• Feta cheese – optional, but so so good if you’re into it.
• Homemade peach salad dressing

What’s in the summer peach salad dressing

Homemade salad dressings are where it’s AT when it comes to making salad at home. This one is FULL of flavor and so so easy to make.

All you need is:

• whole grain mustard
• apple cider vinegar
• maple syrup or honey
• olive oil
• salt + pepper

Grab a jar with a lid and shake it up for the easiest most delicious salad dressing everrrrrr.

If you’re feeling adventurous you could easily substitute balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar.

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Summer peach salad dietary modifications

• Make it vegan: To make this summery peach salad vegan leave out the feta cheese, or substitute cow’s milk feta for your favorite plant based feta. I’ve been loving this one from Violife lately!
• Make it paleo: To make this summery peach salad vegan leave out the feta cheese.

Substitutions & additions

• Avocado instead of (or in addition to) feta cheese would be delicious
• You can swap any other type of nut or seed for the toasted almonds – pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds would all be super tasty. Really it’s all about that crunch factor 🙌🏼
• Green onions can be used in place of red onions
• Strawberries or cherries can be used in place of peaches

Serving suggestions

• Serve this peach salad alongside whatever summer fare you’re enjoying! It’s a great addition to any potluck or shared meal.
• Would be delicious paired with any type of grilled meat or tofu, summer lasagna, pesto pasta, or summer soup.

A few notes on the recipe

• The salad can be made 1 day ahead of time as long as the dressing is kept separate until you’re ready to toss and serve. To keep the nuts nice and crunchy, wait until just before serving to add to the salad.
• The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. Bring to room temperature before using.

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