Arugula Salad with Peaches, Goat Cheese and Basil

This simple, quintessential summer salad is a reminder that seasonal ingredients at their very best don’t need much fussing (or much cooking at all, in this case). Here, peppery arugula and earthy goat cheese get brightened with juicy summer peaches, but the recipe can be tweaked to suit all seasons: If you can’t find ripe peaches, you can use nectarines, cherries, strawberries, plums, raspberries, or even cherry tomatoes in their place. Arugula is a cruciferous vegetable that offers cancer-fighting antioxidants. It’s also a great source of fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamins C & A. Goat cheese is one of the lower fat cheeses that adds a distinctive tart flavor to dishes. And fresh peaches, like all fruit, provide hydration, fiber, and antioxidants.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

· ¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds

· ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

· 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

· ½ teaspoon kosher salt

· ¼ teaspoon black pepper

· 4 to 5 ounces baby arugula

· 2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into ¼-inch slices (about 10 ounces)

· ½ cup julienned fresh basil leaves

· 2 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup), plus more to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. In a small sauté pan, toast the pine nuts or almonds over medium heat, tossing often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2. In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

3. Place the arugula in a large salad bowl. Pour just enough dressing over the greens to moisten and toss to coat. Add the peaches, basil, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts and toss to coat. Add more goat cheese and dressing if desired. Toss gently and serve immediately. 

Nutrition per serving
276 calories; 24 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugar; 7 grams protein; 348 milligrams sodium

Recipe by Lidey Heuck, NY Times Cooking

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