Summer, Served Up Right: Peach, Bacon, Balsamic Salads
- jennysmithmattfeldt
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Peach + Bacon Summer Salad
A salad so good even the husbands will love it. Our Summer Dinner Series is all about simple, quick, delicious dinners that don't require a lot of effort or produce a ton of heat in the kitchen. And when I say simple, I mean simple—you don't even have to measure the ingredients most times, just toss them in.
Marinade & Dressing
Equal parts Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil
Smashed garlic chunks (roughly chop your raw garlic and smash them with the flat side of your knife)
A squeeze of dijon mustard
Fresh herbs chopped up (I used Itallian parsley)
Salt, pepper, & onion powder
I recommend making the dressing the morning of (or even the night before) so your chicken has plenty of time to marinate. Just make sure to set aside a portion before adding the chicken to use as dressing on the finished salad.
To make cleanup almost nonexistent, add everything to a mason jar or shaker bottle, screw on the lid, and give it a good shake. If Dijon mustard isn't your thing, you can substitute a little honey, maple syrup, or even mayonnaise. I'd still recommend using one of them—they act as an emulsifier, helping the oil and vinegar come together into a silky, cohesive dressing instead of separating.
Putting it All Together
Choice of greens
Small chopped asparagus (optional but so good in a salad)
Sliced peaches
Red onion
Marinated sliced chicken
Bacon bits
Since the chicken has already been marinating, the hard part is done. I like to add one more coat of salt, pepper, garlic, maybe paprika whatever you're feeling then toss it in the oven, air fry it, or sear it in a skillet. Dealer's choice.
Once your chicken is cooked, it's time to assemble. Start with a bed of greens, then add the chopped asparagus (an underrated summer salad hack for easy crunch and a little extra fiber), followed by the peach slices and red onion. Top with the sliced chicken, crispy bacon, and a generous drizzle of the reserved dressing.
One little note: your peaches don't have to be perfectly ripe. I actually prefer them a little al dente if you will, they hold their shape better and add the best fresh bite to the salad. Also, maybe it's just me, but I could never figure out how to slice peaches without mushing them so if you're in the same boat slice them around the pit just like you would an avocado. Then you can twist the halves apart and trim the peel off.
This salad looks way more complicated than it actually is. Once you make it, you'll realize it's really just a handful of fresh ingredients layered together.
Don't be afraid to make it your own, either. Swap in whatever summer fruits or vegetables you have on hand—the dressing is forgiving, and you can adjust the ingredient amounts to fit your taste. That said, the combination of juicy peaches, crispy bacon, and balsamic is wildly underrated and deserves to be used for so much more than the occasional appetizer. I paired the salad with a baked potato stuffed with a little greek yogurt, shredded parmesan, and butter mixture. Just bake in tinfoil and when they're tender cut a slice out of the top, add the mixture, wrap them back up in tinfoil and pop them back in the oven to get melty.
My favorite part? It looks so impressive for how little effort it takes. If you're bringing this to a barbecue, hosting friends, or just trying to romanticize a Tuesday night dinner, this is the salad. Serve it in a big wooden bowl, and let everyone think you spent way more time on it than you actually did. I won't tell.
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