Peaches, apricots and plums get paired with goat cheese, toasted almonds and a blackberry-basil dressing to turn summer's bounty into a delicious salad.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time8 minutesmins
Total Time23 minutesmins
Servings: 4salads
Calories: 392kcal
Ingredients
DRESSING
8ozblackberries1 basket
2teaspoonhoney
1Tbschampagne or white wine vinegar
¼cupchopped basil leaves*
2Tbsolive oil
SALAD
2peaches or nectarines
1plum or pluot
1apricot
1avocado
10ozarugula
4ozherb goat cheese*
2ozalmonds
Instructions
TOAST THE ALMONDS - SET A TIMER
Why toasting matters: toasting turns a bland nut into a much tastier version (something heat does to a lot of foods).
Chop the almonds.
Heat a pan over medium heat, add the almonds (no oil). Toast until golden brown, anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Set a timer to check at 5 minutes, and every 1 minute after, they can burn fast.
MAKE THE DRESSING
Add blackberries to blender and puree (do not add basil leaves yet). Run puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
Combine blackberry puree with the honey, vinegar and basil. Then slowly add in half of the olive oil, whisking to combine. Taste. Add more oil if you desire - NOTE that too much oil dramatically reduces the blackberry flavor, which is why I kept it as low as possible.
MAKE THE SALAD
Cut the stone fruit and avocado into slices (or chop them).
Place arugula on each plate and top with fruit and avocado. Crumble goat cheese on top. Add toasted almonds. Drizzle with dressing. Serve!
Notes
Can replace basil with mint.Any crumbly goat cheese will work, or replace with feta or fresh mozzarella.