Nectarine Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
This summery fresh nectarine salad combines nectarines, avocado, roasted corn, basil and cheese all dressed up with a citrus vinaigrette.
My goal was to get this recipe up before summer was over and by the calendar, I have succeeded. By the culture, I have failed but that’s okay. There are still nectarines and peaches in the store and this is still the best summer salad there is. The freshness, the flavors, the colors… I love everything about it. Let’s make it!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky
Why you’ll love it
- Quick – for a fancy-seeming salad it comes together so fast and is easy enough that anyone can make it
- Flavorful – like any salad worth it’s salt, this one plays with opposing tastes like sweet/savory, salt/sour in perfect harmony
- Summer in a bowl – if you love summer produce, this salad is the perfect way to showcase it
What you’ll need
- Arugula – adds a nice additional layer of flavor with it’s peppery bite, but if you don’t enjoy the flavor of arugula, feel free to sub in mixed greens
- Roasted corn – you can either use frozen fire roasted corn, or roast fresh corn on the grill. While more time consuming, I prefer the flavor and texture of fresh corn.
- Nectarines – feel free to substitute peaches
- Avocado
- Shallot – we will quick-pickle these to dampen the offense of raw onion
- Fresh mozzarella or feta cheese – truth be told, I prefer fresh mozzarella but mine had spoiled at the time of this photoshoot so I used feta and it is still delicious and a perfectly acceptable substitute.
- Tomato – I prefer cherry or grape tomatoes but any tomato is fine.
- Basil – fresh basil only please!
- Dressing – avocado oil, white or red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. We will also use vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little sugar to quick-pickle the shallots.
How to make it
For me, writing salad making instructions is kinda like writing pizza instructions… I include measurements but you really can use whatever amount of each feels right to you.
The only thing I don’t recommend riffing is the dressing. Because any salad is really only as good as it’s dressing. The dressing for this nectarine salad is my everyday vinaigrette recipe with a few tiny tweaks. Make the dressing first so its ready to go.
Next make the quick-pickled shallots. Add thinly sliced shallots to a small jar and drizzle with a little red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and sugar, then top with water (just enough to cover the shallots. Shake and set aside or store in the fridge depending on when you will serve.
If you plan on roasting the corn on the grill, heat the grill to about 400F. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning every couple minutes to brown all sides. Allow it to cool, then slice the kernels off the cob with a knife.
The rest is just basic salad assembly: greens, veggies, cheese, herbs, and a drizzle of dressing!
Tried this recipe?
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you! You can also find me on Pinterest!
PrintNectarine Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
This summery fresh nectarine salad combines nectarines, avocado, roasted corn, basil and cheese all dressed up with a citrus vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- arugula (I use about 1/2 a 5 oz container)
- corn, 1 cup thawed fire roasted corn or 2 ears grilled corn
- 1 nectarine, sliced + pitted
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 large avocado or 2 small, cubed
- 4 oz ball mozzarella, torn into small pieces or about 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
You’ll need the following to pickle the shallot:
- 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar (what ever you are using for the salad dressing)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- water
Dressing:
- 2/3 cup avocado oil
- red or white wine vinegar *see instructions for notes on measuring
- lemon juice *see instructions for notes on measuring
- 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or container add sliced shallot and 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp vinegar and 1/4 tsp salt. Top it off to full cover shallots with water. Stir or shake (if you have a lid), then set aside until ready to use. Refrigerate if you will not be eating them for more than 1 hour.
- Make the dressing: combine oil, honey, salt and pepper in a jar with a secure lid. To measure the acid components: in a 1/3 cup measuring cup fill about half way with vinegar, then the rest with lemon juice.
- If grilling the corn, heat the grill to 400F. Grill corn on all sides for about 10-12 minutes, turning as necessary. Set aside to cool before trimming the kernels from the cob.
- Assemble the salad in a large bowl by arranging arugula, corn kernels, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, basil, nectarine slices and shallots (don’t add their pickling liquid).
- Toss with dressing, starting with 1/2 cup. Then add more to taste, you might not use all of it. It will be good for about 2 weeks.
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