I love nectarine season! Those colorful, bright, sweet stone fruit are delicious enjoyed au natural (just bite in!). But you can also turn to nectarines in the kitchen. This recipe for Grilled Nectarine Salad with Citrus Ginger Dressing is super easy to make. Just toss together a salad with baby lettuce blend, fresh mint, sliced radishes, and chopped almonds. Whip up a flavorful citrus ginger dressing to drizzle over the nectarine slices and salad. Then grill the slices until they are golden and tender and pile them on the salad. With a bright minty–ginger twang, and a fresh crunchy addition of radishes and almonds, this fresh light salad is packed with flavor. With only 7 ingredients (not including pantry staples), you can get this vegan, gluten-free recipe done in under 30 minutes. You can substitute any stone fruit in this recipe, too, such as apricots, peaches, cherries, and plums.
What is a Nectarine?
Nectarines are smooth-skinned stone fruit (fruit with a large central pit) in the Rosaceae family that are close relatives to peaches. Nectarines are not new to the agricultural world and supermarkets–they are thought to have originated in China 4,000 years ago.
Nectarine vs peach
Nectarines have a firmer flesh, and no outer fuzz on the peel, while peaches have a fuzzy outer peel, and tend to be a little less expensive with a softer, juicer flesh. Nectarines come in several white nectarine and yellow nectarine varieties. Look for nectarines in the summer months, where they grow in warmer climates.
Description
During the summer when nectarines are in season, make this easy, healthy, delicious grilled nectarine salad with a bright zesty citrus ginger dressing.
Citrus Ginger Dressing:
Nectarine Salad:
- 3 nectarines, unpeeled, sliced into thick wedges
- 4 cups baby lettuce blend
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint
- 4 radishes, sliced
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds
- Prepare vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, orange juice, ginger, salt (optional), and freshly ground black pepper in a small dish until smooth.
- Place sliced nectarine wedges into a bowl. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette, reserving the remaining vinaigrette for the salad.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat and place the nectarine wedges on the hot grill. Reserve any liquid in the bottom of the dish to add back to the reserved vinaigrette for the salad. Grill the nectarines until they are golden on the surface, then turn the nectarines with a tong to grill on the other side until golden (about 8 minutes on each side, depending on your grill). Remove nectarines from grill and cool slightly.
- While nectarines are grilling, prepare the salad. Place the baby lettuce blend on a platter or shallow salad bowl. Arrange chopped mint, sliced radishes, and chopped almonds over the lettuce. Arrange the grilled nectarines over the salad. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.
- Makes 4 servings (about 1 ¾ cups each).
Notes
Slice the nectarines into thick wedges to prevent them from falling through the grates (about 8-10 slices per nectarine). You can also try a grill basket to grill the nectarines.
May season with additional freshly ground black pepper before serving.
Try this square platter to serve this Nectarine Salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 137
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 61 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
For other plant-based salads, check out some of my favorites:
Green and Gold Brown Rice Salad
Arugula Salad with Tomatoes
Green Bean, Chickpea, and Farro Salad with Za’atar
Spicy Cauliflower Salad with Cilantro
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Peanuts and Papaya
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Vegan Feta and Balsamic Vinaigrette
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