Grilled Peach Salad with Curry Pecans & Honey Vinaigrette
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Life’s about to get a whole lot peachier thanks to this summery grilled peach salad! Have you tried grilling peaches before? The natural sugars caramelize, making the peaches smoky and extra sweet. They meld with peppery arugula, bursting blueberries, candied curry pecans, and a honey vinaigrette. Add some goat cheese or diced avocado, and you’ll be counting down until peach season all year long!
This grilled peach salad tastes like summer on a plate. The peaches become even sweeter on the grill as their natural sugars caramelize and pick up a subtle smoky flavor, making them completely irresistible. Paired with peppery arugula, juicy blueberries, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy pecans, every bite feels bright, fresh, and full of contrast.
One of my favorite parts of this salad is the candied curried pecans. They add a slightly unexpected warm spice that works so well with the sweet peaches and creamy goat cheese. It’s subtle, but it gives the salad a little something extra that makes people stop and ask what’s in it.
The key here is using perfectly ripe peaches that are still firm enough to hold together on the grill. Once everything gets tossed together, you end up with a salad that’s sweet, smoky, creamy, crunchy, and tangy all at once — exactly the kind of summer salad I never get tired of making.
Also, make sure to try my prosciutto-wrapped peaches!
Pro tips for how to grill peaches for a salad
Grilling peaches sounds fancy, but it’s super simple! One warning: don’t give in and try one of those grilled peaches before you put them in the salad. If you do, chances are you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating all of them! Here are some other pro tips to keep in mind:
- Grilling peaches: Cut your peaches in half (like an avocado!) and twist the halves off of the pit. Slice each half into three pieces and toss them in a tiny bit of oil. Grill the peaches for a few minutes on each side.
- Grill mats: Have you used grill mats. before? If not, prepare to make your peach grilling life even easier. Nothing sticks to them, making your BBQ stay clean and making clean up a breeze! You can definitely make this grilled peach salad without a grill mat, but you’ll want to make sure that your grill is well oiled before putting on the peaches so they don’t stick.
- Warm peaches: If you throw your peaches in when they’re hot off the grill, you’ll risk wilting the salad, so it’s best to let them cool for a few minutes and serve them warm. If you want to make the salad ahead of time, they’re tasty served cold, too.
Variations
This grilled peach salad works as there is delicious contrast: sweet and smokiness from the peaches balances the peppery bitterness from the arugula! If you’re thinking of making any variations, think about how they’ll complement those flavors. Here are some top picks:
- Other cheese: Goat cheese can be polarizing – I love the tangy creaminess of it but understand it’s not for everyone. An easy and delicious substitute is feta cheese, avocado, or burrata.
- Protein: If you’d like to add some protein you can throw in some prosciutto, shredded chicken, bacon bits, or roasted chickpeas as a salad topper.
- Greens: Add or sub some other greens, like kale or baby spinach!
- Nuts: If you can’t get your hands on some pecans, other nuts work well, too. Walnuts are an easy swap, or you can sprinkle some pine nuts into the salad, too.
Your questions answered
Should I peel peaches before grilling them? Unless you really don’t like the peach skin, I suggest leaving it on, as it helps them retain their shape better when they’re grilled.
Should I use raw or roasted pecans? Go for roasted pecans, if possible!
Can I make grilled peach salad ahead of time? You can make the various parts of the salad ahead of time, but don’t combine them until you’re ready to serve.
Grilled Peach Salad with Curry Pecans & Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
The Honey Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (use 1 tablespoon mayonnaise for dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- A pinch of sea salt
The Candied Curry Pecans
- ¼ cup pecans
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon butter
The Salad
- 4 ripe but firm peaches
- ½ teaspoon avocado oil (or another neutral-flavored oil)
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (sub a diced avocado for dairy-free)
Instructions
- Place all the vinaigrette ingredients into a 1-cup mason jar and shake until mixed.2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, A pinch of sea salt
- Place the pecans, honey, curry powder, and sea salt in a small frying pan and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the pan is dry, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter to prevent the pecans from sticking together.¼ cup pecans, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon curry powder, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon butter
- Preheat your barbecue to high. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Then cut each peach half into three wedges. Place the peaches in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the oil. Grill the peaches for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove them from the grill using an offset spatula – this works better than a regular spatula and helps prevent the grill marks from being left on the grill.4 ripe but firm peaches, ½ teaspoon avocado oil
- Place the arugula in a large bowl with goat cheese, curry pecans, blueberries, and grilled peaches. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately.5 ounces baby arugula, ½ cup blueberries, ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I’m interested in making the pecans as a christmas gift for a friend who lives in another state. Do you think this recipe would be appropriate for wrapping and sending in the mail or would they be too wet and likely mold by the time the gift could be opened? They look yummy and unusual. Thanks
The pecans can be made in advance so they should be just fine to send. Once they’re cool, they’re quite dry to the touch. You have a lucky friend!
This salad was delicious! If you ordered this in a restaurant, you would pay $20 or more. Loved the dressing and don’t skip the pecans, they added a unique flavor.
Hi, can you make this salad a head of time?
You can make the various parts of the salad ahead of time, but don’t toss it all together until you’re ready to serve it.
I was looking for a honey vinaigrette for a peach and blueberry salad with arugula LOL! Because of course Peaches and Blueberries are glorious right now from the farm stand. This was a good combination, but don’t make the mistake of using an immersion blender to mix your dressing. I usually do this for vinaigrettes, and I should have known better as I have made the mistake before with mayo, and it liquifies the dressing. It still tasted good, but I made this for a dinner gathering and I don’t think it went over well. I enjoyed it, but because I dressed the whole thing, I ended up throwing away most of what was likely a 15+ dollar salad. Perhaps the dressing was a bit too sweet? Not visually appealing? Next time I am going to try mixing a small amount (as I use high quality ingredients, I don’t want to waste it) and just stir together to see if it’s as watery. If so, i will switch to leaving out the Greek yogurt.
I received rave reviews for this wonderful salad when I served it for guests this week! What a way to start a meal – an impressive combination of flavors and textures. I followed the recipe to a tee with one small substitution- I used Boston lettuce instead of arugula
Should the peaches be served hot or cold? Thank you!
Warm is best for this dish. While they’re delicious eaten hot, you’ll risk wilting the salad if they’re added hot so it’s best to let them cool for a few minutes. If you want to make the salad ahead of time, they’re tasty served cold, too.
Love this Grilled Peach Salad , this salad seems so delicious , will love to try this one . Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
This Grilled Peach Salad seems so amazing , love this one . Thanks for sharing this recipe ,will love to try this one .
10/10- can’t say enough about this amazing combination.
Excellent flavors in this salad from the seasoned pecans to the dressing, etc.
I am making this over the weekend! Do you use raw pecans or are they already roasted (or does it matter)?
Thanks!
Roasted if you have them!
This was outstanding. Fresh wild king salmon is in season. So I grilled the peaches and worked on the salad while the salmon was on the grill. Perfect summer dinner with a glass of rose’. Thank you!