Summer Peach Spinach Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Summer Peach Spinach Salad with Blackberries, Pecans, Feta, and Balsamic Glaze (close-up photo).

Summer Peach Spinach Salad with Balsamic Glaze

This 15-minute peach spinach salad features juicy blackberries, toasted pecans, creamy feta, and balsamic dressing, making it an ideal summer lunch, side dish, or appetizer for a crowd or a family meal. Perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, and other festivities, you can use fresh peaches in the summer or canned/frozen ones year-round. For an extra touch, try grilling the peaches!

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword peach spinach salad, summer peach salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings people

Calories 162kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Balsamic glaze

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup honey or brown sugar

Salad Ingredients

5 oz spinach
2 medium yellow peaches sliced
6 oz blackberries
1 cup pecans toasted
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Salad Dressing - Balsamic Glaze

You can make this step up to 2 days in advance. Or, purchase store-bought glaze.
In a small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and honey over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and reduces by about half (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and pour the balsamic glaze into a heat-proof bowl to cool off. The glaze will get thicker as it cools off. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick. Use the glaze once it's completely cool.

Salad assembly

My preferred method is to arrange salad ingredients in individual salad bowls. Add baby spinach to individual salad bowls. Top with sliced peaches, blackberries, toasted pecans (some whole, some chopped), and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle each salad bowl with balsamic glaze.
Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl to combine baby spinach, sliced peaches, blackberries, toasted pecans (some whole, some chopped), and crumbled feta cheese. Toss to combine. Distribute into individual salad bowls and drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

Notes

There are many dressing options for this peach spinach salad:

Use store-bought balsamic glaze. You can purchase it in the grocery store or on Amazon.
Make your balsamic glaze. Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and ¼ cup of brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half and acquires a thick and syrupy consistency.
Use store-bought balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. This type of dressing usually combines olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and other ingredients and will work perfectly in a peach salad!
Make your balsamic vinaigrette by combining ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup of high-quality balsamic vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Whisk to emulsify. You should not use the whole dressing, use just enough to drizzle the salad.
Use a high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy (labeled as Aceto Balsamico I.G.P. or labeled Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale D.O.P.).

Nutrition