Arugula Nectarine Salad

This arugula nectarine salad with fresh basil dressing is a gorgeous and delicious salad for summer or fall! The colours and flavours will definitely brighten up your menu. It’s incredibly easy to make and all comes together in less than 15 minutes! {Gluten-free and vegetarian}

Summer Arugula Salad with Nectarine

Gorgeous presentation – I absolutely love the beautiful fall colours in this salad. The vibrant red and orange nectarines paired with the green arugula and pop of white from the feta makes for one beautiful and mouthwatering salad!

Nutrient-rich – Nectarines are a great source of fibre, vitamins A & C, while arugula provides calcium, potassium and vitamin K. The walnuts add a dose of heart-healthy omega-3s and protein. Plus, the homemade basil dressing is made with fresh unprocessed ingredients including fresh basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. So much better than store-bought!

Simple ingredients – No fancy ingredients are required for this salad. It’s the perfect way to make use of those fresh nectarines when they’re in season and you’d never guess it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare!

Crowd pleaser – This salad always gets rave reviews and for good reason! It tastes like a salad you’d get at a restaurant. With the peppery crunch from the arugula, the juicy sweet pop of flavour from the nectarines and salty feta, it’s one delicious combo. Perfect to serve up at those summer and fall gatherings!

Summer Arugula Salad with Nectarine Ingredients

Arugula – I used a small five ounce tub of arugula for this salad. You could also sub in baby spinach if you don’t have any arugula on hand.

Nectarines – Pit the nectarines and cut them into thin slices or dice them into cubes. See directions for how to pit a nectarine below. You can also sub in other stone fruit such as peaches, apricots or plums!

Walnuts – Use raw unsalted walnuts and chop into finer pieces or purchase pre-chopped walnut pieces to save on time. You can also sub in pecans, sliced or slivered almonds or pumpkin or sunflower seeds if you want to make the salad nut-free.

Feta cheese – I personally love using feta cheese in fruity salads because the saltiness pairs so well with the sweet and juicy flavour of the fruit. You can use either light or full fat feta cheese for this salad.

Basil – The fresh basil compliments the balsamic vinegar and sweetness of the nectarines so nicely! We used fresh basil from our garden but feel free to sub in fresh store-bought basil.

What’s the difference between a nectarine and peach?

Both nectarines and peaches are part of the stone fruit family, however, the primary difference lies in their skin and flesh. Nectarines have thin smoother skin and firmer flesh, while peaches have thicker fuzzy skin and softer flesh. Nectarines also tend to be smaller than most peaches.

Nutritionally, they are also comparable and tend to contain similar amounts of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

How to Make Nectarine Arugula Feta Salad

Step 1: Assemble the arugula, nectarines, walnuts and feta in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add all of the ingredients for the basil dressing to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Step 3: Toss the salad ingredients together with desired amount of dressing. Serve immediately.

Salad with Arugula and Nectarine Recipe Tips

• Choose nectarines that are ripe but still firm. If you use overripe nectarines, they will be too soft and it will be difficult to slice or dice them without them turning into mush. We want slightly firm yet still juicy nectarine slices for this salad!
• I like to use my Ninja blender to make the basil dressing. It’s compact and easy to store, yet extremely powerful, so it’s perfect for breaking down those fresh basil leaves to form a smooth dressing. I use this mini blender all the time to make dressings and sauces!
• The recipe for basil vinaigrette makes more than you will probably need. I didn’t use all of the dressing for this salad so feel free to use desired amount of dressing and save the rest for another batch of this salad or for another salad recipe.
• For best results, put the dressing on the salad right before serving, otherwise the arugula will go soggy if it’s left to sit in the dressing too long.
• You can also grill the nectarines to bring out a sweeter flavour before adding them to the salad. If you haven’t tried it, a grilled nectarine salad is super tasty!
• If you’d like to make this salad more of a complete meal, add some grilled chicken or salmon for some extra protein!

Nectarine Salad Recipe FAQs

How to Cut a Nectarine

Before you can incorporate the nectarines into this salad, you’ll have to first remove the stone.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Insert the blade of a sharp paring knife into the stem end of the nectarine. Slice into halves lengthwise, turning the nectarine while slicing.
2. Carefully remove the knife blade. Twist the nectarine halves to pull apart.
3. Using the tip of the paring knife, cut around the pit and remove.
4. Now that the pit has been removed, you can proceed to cut the nectarine into slices or dice it into cubes.

Do you eat the skin of nectarines?

Yes, you certainly can eat the skin of nectarines. In fact, that’s where much of the fibre is found.

Additionally, since the skin tends to be really thin, it can be tricky to peel nectarines without bruising them, losing too much of the flesh, or getting the juice everywhere, so if peeling isn’t required, eat the nectarines with the skin on.

Do you put nectarines in the fridge?

Generally speaking, it’s best not to store nectarines in the fridge until they’re fully ripened since putting them in the fridge too early can delay the ripening process and impact their overall flavour and texture.

You can tell if a nectarine is ripe by pushing down on the skin with your fingers. If it’s soft and bounces back, then that typically means that it’s ripe. At this point, you can store the nectarines in the fridge.

Can Nectarine Salad be made in advance?

You can prepare and assemble the salad ingredients and dressing in advance, but I recommend leaving the dressing off until you’re ready to serve since it will make the arugula soggy if it sits on there for too long.

You can either toss the salad ingredients together in a large bowl and place it in the fridge or store them separately until you’re ready to assemble the salad and serve.

How to Store this Arugula Salad with Nectarine Recipe

You can store the salad and dressing in the fridge tightly wrapped with saran wrap or packed in an airtight container for up to three days. For best results, leave the dressing off until ready to serve.

What to serve with Nectarine Recipes?

The sweet, salty and peppery flavours of this salad make it the perfect side dish to serve up at those BBQs, potlucks or along with some protein like chicken or fish for an easy weeknight meal!

It pairs especially well with the following recipes:

• Grilled chicken (marinated in one of these healthy chicken marinades)
• Walnut Crusted Salmon
• Pesto Chicken Burgers
• Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs
• Chicken Feta Burgers
• Zucchini Turkey Burgers

Or as previously mentioned, you can also toss in some grilled chicken or salmon to make the salad more of a complete meal.

Looking for more delicious recipes?

Check these out:

• Baked Oatmeal Cups
• Recipe for Protein Bar
• Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
• Golden Milk Benefits
• Curry Soup Recipe
• Baked Oatmeal Bars
• Freezer Meal Recipes
• Baking Wings
• Tuna Wrap Recipe
• Egg Bake Muffins
• Smash Cake Ideas

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This recipe was originally posted in September 2015 but was updated in September 2020 to include better recipe tips and photos.

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