Avocado Peach Salad

5 from 33 votes

Fresh peaches, creamy avocado, butter lettuce, crisp vegetables, and a tangy lemon Parmesan vinaigrette come together in this colorful, produce-packed summer salad.

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Total Time5

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Equipment

Ingredients

3-4 heads butter lettuce
1 bunch fresh chives snipped
2 sliced avocados
4 Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 ripe peaches, sliced
2 ripe nectarines, sliced

Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

1 lemon juiced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot finely minced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Carefully trim the butter lettuce leaves off the head. Rinse well and dry.
Toss the full leaves, avocado, fruit, and snipped chives with the lemon parmesan shallot vinaigrette and serve on a large platter.

For the Vinaigrette

Whisk all ingredients together until emulsified.

Notes

Squeeze lemon juice directly over sliced avocado the moment it hits the cutting board. Avocado browns rapidly once cut due to enzymatic oxidation. The citric acid in lemon juice slows that reaction and keeps your slices looking fresh and vibrant on the platter.
Dry your butter lettuce thoroughly after rinsing. Any residual water on the leaves will dilute the vinaigrette and prevent it from coating the lettuce properly. A salad spinner followed by a gentle pat with a clean kitchen towel does the job right.
Whisk the vinaigrette vigorously until it looks fully opaque and creamy before dressing the salad. Oil and vinegar are immiscible by nature. Whisking aggressively creates a temporary emulsion that coats every leaf evenly instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Mince your shallot and garlic as finely as possible for the dressing. Large chunks of raw shallot or garlic create harsh, uneven bites. A fine mince allows both aromatics to dissolve into the vinaigrette and distribute their flavor throughout the entire salad.
Let the dressing sit for at least 10 minutes before tossing. Resting the vinaigrette allows the shallot and garlic to macerate in the acid, softening their raw sharpness and mellowing the overall flavor before it hits the greens.
Make a double or triple batch of the dressing and store it in a sealed jar in the fridge. This vinaigrette keeps well for up to a week refrigerated. Because the olive oil will solidify slightly when cold, let the jar come to room temperature and shake or stir before each use.
Use only ripe but firm peaches and nectarines so the slices hold their shape. Overripe stone fruit will release excess juice into the salad, making the greens soggy and diluting the dressing. A peach that gives slightly under pressure is ideal.
Tear butter lettuce leaves rather than chopping them if they are on the larger side. A knife creates a compressed, bruised cut edge on delicate butter lettuce. Tearing keeps the cell walls more intact and gives the leaves a softer, more natural texture on the platter.
Dress the salad at the very last minute before serving. Butter lettuce wilts quickly once acid touches it. Tossing right before plating ensures the leaves stay structured and the cucumbers stay crisp through the entire meal.
Grate your parmesan fresh directly into the dressing instead of using pre-shredded. Pre-shredded parmesan is coated in anti-caking agents that prevent it from incorporating smoothly into a vinaigrette. Freshly grated parm dissolves more readily and delivers a cleaner, saltier flavor.
Slice your cucumbers on a slight bias rather than straight across. An angled cut increases the surface area of each slice, which means more of the cucumber face picks up dressing and the presentation on the platter looks intentional and polished.
Arrange the salad on a wide, flat platter rather than tossing everything into a deep bowl. A platter allows you to layer the components visually so each ingredient stays distinct. It also means guests can serve themselves without crushing the avocado slices at the bottom of a deep bowl.

Nutrition (estimated)