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This Blackberry Peach Salad is a fresh summer salad made with grilled peaches, blackberries, blueberries, creamy avocado, spinach, cucumber, Gorgonzola cheese, quick pickled onions, maple glazed pecans, and a homemade lemon basil mint dressing.
Summer Peach Salad
I'm a big believer in fruit-forward salads, especially in peak summer when peaches and berries are at their best. This peach salad is sweet-meets-savory done right: the grilled peaches caramelize just enough to bring out their sweetness, the Gorgonzola adds a salty punch, maple-glazed pecans add the crunch, and the pickled onions cut through it all.
Add greens like spinach and arugula, along with avocado, cucumber, and summer berries, and you have a winner! Every bite has contrast - sweet, tangy, creamy, and crisp.
Make it once, and I promise it'll be on repeat until the last peach of the season disappears. For more peach recipes, check out my Summer Fruit Salad, super popular Strawberry Peach Cake, and my favorite Crisp with Peaches and Blueberries.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Baby spinach and arugula create a balanced base for this summer peach salad. The spinach adds tenderness while the arugula contributes a peppery flavor that pairs especially well with the sweet fruit and creamy cheese.
- Peaches: Choose ripe but still slightly firm peaches so they hold their shape when sliced and grilled. Overripe peaches can become soft and release too much juice into the salad.
- Grilling the peaches is optional, but it adds a caramelized flavor and beautiful visual contrast. If using grilled peaches, allow them to cool before adding them to the greens so they do not wilt the salad.
- Gorgonzola provides a richer, creamier flavor than feta and works particularly well with blackberries, peaches, and maple-glazed pecans. Feta, goat cheese, or mild blue cheese work too.
- Avocado: Slice it just before assembling so it stays fresh and green.
- English cucumber adds a cool, refreshing crunch.
- The quick pickled onions add brightness and acidity that balances the sweeter ingredients. Even a short pickling time helps mellow the sharpness of the raw onion.
- Maple-glazed pecans: These take 5 minutes in a skillet and are dangerously snackable. Make extra. When making the glazed pecans, keep the heat moderate and stir frequently. Maple syrup can darken quickly if the heat is too high. The pecans may seem sticky when first removed from the skillet, but they will become less tacky as they cool. Walnuts or almonds glaze up just as nicely as pecans.
- Fresh basil and mint are used both in the dressing and as garnish for the grilled peach salad.
- Lemon basil mint dressing: Olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, and Dijon whisked with chopped herbs to tie it all together.
How to Make Blackberry Peach Salad
This recipe has 5 simple components (quick pickled onions, maple-glazed pecans, grilled peaches, salad dressing, and salad assembly), but none of them are fussy. I will walk you through each step with step-by-step photos.
Please note that this is the recipe overview. For complete recipe instructions and the ingredient list, scroll down to the full printable recipe card below.
1) Start With the Quick Pickled Onions
Stir the vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a jar or bowl until dissolved. Then - here's my favorite trick - pour boiling water over the sliced onions in a colander before adding them to the vinegar mixture. That quick blanch takes away the harsh raw-onion bite and helps them pickle faster. Set them aside; they'll get better and better as they sit.
2)How to Make Maple-Glazed Pecans
Add the pecans and maple syrup to a skillet over medium-low heat and stir frequently until the syrup thickens and coats every pecan. Off the heat, sprinkle them with flaky sea salt and a pinch of cinnamon, then spread them out to cool. As they cool, the coating sets into a glossy, caramelized shell.
Cool the pecans completely before topping the salad. Warm pecans will wilt the greens and lose their crunch. Spread them in a single layer so they don't clump. And try not to eat them all before the salad is assembled - they are addictive! I especially like having this maple-glazed pecan recipe in my back pocket because it works just as well on other salads!
3) A Few Tips About Peaches
Choose peaches that are ripe but firm. They should give just slightly when pressed and smell fragrant at the stem. Overly soft peaches will turn mushy on the grill - save those for smoothies! Slightly underripe peaches actually grill beautifully, since the heat coaxes out their sweetness.
Cut the peaches into thick wedges. Aim for slices about ¾ inch thick - thinner slices soften too quickly and can fall apart on the grill.
When grilling, don't move the peaches too soon. For those picture-perfect grill marks, place the slices on the hot pan and leave them undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes before flipping. If they resist when you try to lift them, they need another 30 seconds.
4) Whisk Up the Dressing
Combine dressing ingredients (olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon, and plenty of chopped basil and mint) in a bowl and whisk until smooth. The dressing is bright, herby, and just sweet enough to complement the grilled peaches in a salad!
5) Final Assembly
Toss the spinach and arugula with a little dressing first so every leaf gets lightly coated. Then arrange the cucumber, pickled onions, avocado, peaches, and berries on top.
Finish your grilled peach salad with the toppings: Gorgonzola, maple pecans, fresh herbs, and one more drizzle of dressing.
Serving Ideas
- Add your favorite protein to turn blackberry peach salad into a complete meal. It pairs perfectly with anything off the grill. Chicken, salmon, or grilled shrimp are all perfect partners. Serve this grilled peach salad with one of my 15 Best Grilling Recipes.
- It also makes a gorgeous starter for a summer dinner party, along with my watermelon salad and my favorite appetizers, such as Cheese Ball and Mexican Corn Dip.
- Serve it with Mediterranean dishes like my chicken spaghetti with burrata cheese, Mediterranean salmon, or Greek chicken.
More Peach Salads
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Peaches
- Blueberry Peach Salad with Prosciutto (or Bacon) and Balsamic Dressing
- Stone Fruit Pasta Salad with Cherries, Peaches, Feta, and Arugula
- Peach Mozzarella Salad with Basil and Prosciutto
- Summer Peach Salad with Peaches, Blackberries, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing
- Summer Fruit Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing
- Grilled peach salad with arugula, avocado, berries, toasted nuts, and a honey mustard lemon dressing
Grilled Peach Salad with Blackberries, Avocado and Maple Pecans (Summer Salad)
Ingredients
For the quick pickled onions
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup vinegar
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the maple glazed pecans
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- pinch flaky sea salt
- sprinkle ground cinnamon
For the salad
- 2 medium peaches sliced
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 small English cucumber sliced
- quick pickled onions (from above)
- 1 avocado ripe, sliced
- 1 cup blackberries
- ¾ cup blueberries
- ¾ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
- fresh mint leaves for garnish
For the Lemon Basil Mint Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the quick pickled onions: In a jar, bowl or heatproof container, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt and stir until dissolved.
- Place the sliced red onions in a colander set over the sink. Carefully pour boiling water over the onions, allowing the water to drain away completely.
- Transfer the onions to the vinegar mixture and stir gently to coat. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. The onions will lightly pickle and their flavor continues to develop as they sit.
- Make the maple glazed pecans: Add the pecans and maple syrup to a large skillet and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the maple syrup thickens and evenly coats the pecans.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the pecans with flaky sea salt and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Spread them onto a plate or parchment-lined surface to cool. As they cool, the maple coating will cling to the pecans and create a caramelized, glossy finish.
- Grill the peaches: heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the peach slices briefly on each side until lightly caramelized with visible grill marks. Allow them to cool slightly before assembling the salad.
- Make the dressing: whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, basil, mint, salt, and pepper until smooth and fully combined.
- Assemble the salad: place the spinach and arugula in a large serving bowl or in small individual bowls. Drizzle with a small amount of the dressing and toss gently until the leaves are lightly coated.
- Arrange the cucumber, pickled onions, sliced avocado, peaches, blackberries, and blueberries over the top. Sprinkle with the Gorgonzola and maple-glazed pecans.
- Finish with fresh basil and mint leaves and drizzle with additional dressing just before serving.
Notes
- For the most attractive presentation, reserve a handful of pecans, berries, and cheese to scatter over the finished grilled peach salad just before serving.
- Dress the greens lightly. It is easier to add more dressing later than to fix an overdressed salad.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Maple-Glazed Pecans: Make up to 3 days ahead and store in a dry, airtight container.
- Pickled onions: Make up to 3 days ahead - they only get better. Store refrigerated in their brine. The quick pickled onions can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
- Dressing: Whisk up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar.
- Refrigerator: If preparing ahead, store the dressing, glazed pecans, pickled onions, and salad components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Assemble just before serving for the freshest texture and appearance.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
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