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Arugula salad with peaches, pecans and goat cheese with balsamic vinaigrette is perfect for an easy, light and delicious summer side salad!

Well, yesterday brought a big surprise… and not the fun kind.

Around lunchtime, our city water folks showed up and announced that we had a buried man hole in our front yard. That needed to be unburied.

We had NO idea it was there. It wasn’t part of any paperwork or disclosures when we bought the house.

I cannot tell you the giant hole that was dug, the giant mess that was made and the unsightly man hole cover that is now a permanent part of our front yard. 😭

At least J was entertained by the back hoe and all the construction workers in our yard. Yeah, I’m digging for an upside…

And now for distraction’s sake, cause this literally made me cry yesterday afternoon, let’s move on to the food…

It’s kind-of “peach week” here on the blog and that makes me smile. 🍑 🍑 🍑

On Monday, I brought you my skillet chicken with peaches and today it’s my arugula salad with peaches, pecans and goat cheese.

It’s such a pretty, light salad and has all kinds of flavors weaving in and out with each other.

I love how the peppery arugula pairs so well with the sweet, juicy peaches and then you get the nutty crunch from the pecans, topped off with the creamy goat cheese crumbles.

Serious salad deliciousness right here! 😋

And a great way to use up some of the fresh peaches that I can’t seem to resist buying!

A few notes on this arugula salad with peaches:

I use pecans, but you could substitute walnuts instead if that’s what you have on hand.
I love this with the creamy, soft goat cheese, but you could use feta cheese or another crumbly cheese if you prefer.
Mostly, I prefer to make my own salad dressings, but you could certainly substitute a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette – or another vinaigrette you love. I think a champagne or citrusy vinaigrette would be great here too. 👌

Grab some fresh peaches from the farmer’s market or store this weekend and save a couple for your next salad.

Enjoy and happy almost weekend!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. Got an overload of fresh peaches and need some more ways to use them up? Check out these recipes:

Individual peach blueberry crumble (Family Food on the Table)
Skinny peach milkshakes (Recipe Runner)
Tomato, peach and burrata salad (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Arugula salad with peaches, pecans and goat cheese

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Prep Time 15 minutes Total Time 15 minutes

Serves 4 adjust servings

Arugula salad with peaches, pecans and goat cheese with balsamic vinaigrette is perfect for an easy, light and delicious summer side salad!

Ingredients

For the salad

1 (5 or 6 oz.) bag of baby arugula
2 fresh, ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

For the dressing

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 clove minced garlic
Pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Place the arugula on your salad serving plate and top with the peach slices, pecans and goat cheese.

To make the vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine. (Alternatively, you could whisk this really well in a bowl.)

Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss until it’s well dressed. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

I use pecans, but you could substitute walnuts instead if that’s what you have on hand.

I love this with the creamy, soft goat cheese, but you could use feta cheese or another crumbly cheese if you prefer.

I make my own salad dressings, but you could substitute a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette - or another vinaigrette you love. I think a champagne or citrusy vinaigrette would be great here too.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 198kcal Calories from fat 145
% Daily Value
Total Fat 16g	25%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 5mg	2%
Sodium 93mg	4%
Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Sugars 8g
Protein 5g