Farmer’s market arugula and peach salad!
I absolutely love this peach salad! It’s seriously loaded with peachy goodness, from the fresh sliced peaches to topping it off with a pepper peach salad dressing (vinaigrette).
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Oh my word, the vinaigrette!
To make this peach salad even more southern, I’ve added perfectly toasted cornbread croutons to finish it off!
If you can get your hands on some fresh Georgia peaches, brilliant, otherwise look for peaches that as close to locally grown as possible if you can.
How to select peaches?
When selecting peaches, look for ones that are firm to the touch, but have a slight give under gentle pressure and have a sweet fruity fragrance. Avoid peaches that are bruised or have blemishes.
What if the peaches are underripe?
When you find beautiful peaches but they haven’t fully ripened, not to worry, you can help them along their way. Simply place the peaches along with a banana in a paper bag. Do not fully close the bag but allow some light and air in, or you can poke a few holes in the bag to achieve the same effect.
Want to learn more about picking the best peaches? Check out The Kitchn and happy picking.
This farmers peach salad is wonderful served on its own for a light lunch or you can enjoy it as a gorgeous start to any meal.
The vinaigrette is easily made by adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a half cup of pepper peach jam, and the croutons are made from toasting day-old cornbread to give it a distinctive southern flair.
If you have the time to make your own small batch pepper peach jam, it really is worth it and easy to make, but if you would rather purchase it, you should be able to find it at your local grocery stores, such as Publix, Kroger or The Fresh Market. Not able to to find it locally? Don’t fret, Amazon has you covered.
How to make a peach salad
Farmers Arugula Peach Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cornbread Croutons
- 1 batch of day-old cornbread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Salad
- 4 – 6 ounces arugula or baby leaf salad
- 2 ripe peaches peeled, pitted and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
For the Vinaigrette
- ½ cup pepper peach jam
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut cornbread into 1-inch cubes, toss with the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, turning halfway through baking time. Once toasted, set aside until ready to use.
- In a large salad bowl, mix together the arugula, sliced peaches, and blue cheese.
- Mix together the pepper peach jam with apple cider vinegar.
- Right before serving, drizzle the pepper peach vinaigrette over salad, season with salt and pepper to taste, toss to serve.
