I love salad. It’s seriously one of the best foods in the world. My mom and I always bug the living daylights out of my dad because on a nice summer day, we’re content to just eat salad. No meat, no grilled whatever, just a nice salad. But when the grill is already heated and prepped, why not grill some delicious fruit for a salad? This easy summer salad is a sure-fire stunner with it’s grilled peaches, candied walnuts, and delicious greens and feta.

The most challenging part of this isn’t making the candied walnuts, it’s the part where you can’t eat all of the candied walnuts until they’re on your salad. I really struggle with that, so I choose not to make them in advance of making the salad. Start with one cup of walnuts and one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Add a quarter cup of brown sugar, a generous dash of cinnamon, and just stir until thickened and the nuts are coated. It takes me about 5 minutes start-to-finish on the stove. Then, spread the nuts across waxed paper to cool.

While your nuts are cooking and cooling, place your peaches on a grill. I used my George Foreman because it was raining when I made the salad, but you can use an outdoor grill instead. What you’re going for is a nice sugaring on the peaches where they are getting warm. It’s bringing some complexity out of the flavor of the peach and really adding a nice sweetness that you might not otherwise taste. It’s also making the peaches tender to prevent an overly crunchy peach salad.

The rest is so easy– some Dole Baby Spinach and Feta Crumbles from Kraft and you’re all set with lunch. Just place the spinach on a plate, then generously top with feta, peaches, and candied nuts for the most beautiful sweet and savory combination… it’s truly summer on a plate.

Can you really beat that? It’s just gorgeous and light.

If you’re a salad lover, you’ll want to follow my soups, salads, and sandwiches board on Pinterest!

Follow MamaPlusOne’s board Food: Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches on Pinterest.


What’s your favorite summer salad?