Fresh Peach Salad with Basil Grilled Chicken
While there’s still about a month left of summer, it is just starting to feel like it’s over. We had our last beach day today, so that’s my goodbye to summer. One thing I love about the end of every summer is the abundance of fresh peaches everywhere. I had two neighbors bring me a bag full of them and I also had bought a bunch of local ones at the store. So we have been eating peaches in everything and drinking them in just about every smoothie for the last two weeks. And no one is complaining about that around here, we all absolutely love peaches! Who could resist them? They’re sweet, juicy, and perfectly tender. I just love biting into a freshly picked peach. The other thing I love (and if you’ve been reading for a while I’m sure you’ve caught on by now) is grilled chicken salads. They are so versatile and you can add just about anything to them, and if we are going to go all out on a salad we may as well make it into a meal, right? Since it’s peach season of course I had to do a peach salad recipe, and this one does not disappoint! I can almost guarantee that, like me, you’ll love everything about this peach and basil chicken salad! From the chicken marinated and infused with fresh garlic-basil flavor to the combination of fresh peaches, corn, and goat cheese, and of course how well it is all complemented by the white balsamic vinaigrette. I could pretty much live on this peach salad! It might just become one of your favorite summer salads, just be sure to try it before summer is over!
Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad Ingredients
For the grilled basil chicken, you’ll need:
Chicken breasts Olive oil Fresh basil Garlic Lemon juice Salt and pepper
For the white balsamic dressing, you’ll need:
Extra-virgin olive oil White balsamic vinegar Honey Dijon mustard Salt and pepper
And for the peach salad base, you’ll need:
Spring mix lettuce Fresh peach slices Corn Chopped pecans Red onion Goat cheese
How to Make Peach Salad with Grilled Chicken
Marinate chicken for 2 to 5 hours, then grill over medium-high heat. Slice grilled basil chicken and set aside. Whisk together white balsamic vinaigrette ingredients in measuring cup. Prep veggies for the peach salad, then add to large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine, then top with grilled chicken.
Can I Use Canned Peaches in This Salad?
I wouldn’t use canned peaches in this grilled chicken salad. They contain a lot more liquid and have a mushy texture.
Can I Use Regular Balsamic Vinegar Instead of White?
Yes, but know that regular balsamic vinegar is much stronger than white balsamic vinegar. So you may need to add a teaspoon or two of honey to the vinaigrette to balance out the flavors.
Tips for the Best Peach Salad with Grilled Chicken
I wouldn’t recommend substituting dried basil for the fresh basil leaves. But as a last resort, if it’s winter, I would use 1 tablespoon of dried basil. Even though the general rule is to use 1/3 the amount of fresh, I think that would be far too much here. Let the grilled basil chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing it. This gives the juices time to redistribute and makes for a more moist slice of chicken. Feel free to play around with the ingredients in this salad — use a different lettuce blend like romaine or kale, choose feta cheese, add tomatoes, etc.
More Peach Recipes You’ll Love:
Three Cheese Peach and Prosciutto Pizza with Basil and Honey Balsamic Reduction Balsamic Peach Chicken Skillet The BEST Peach Cobbler Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Peach Crisp
