Balsamic Roasted Peach Arugula Salad

This beautiful salad perfectly balances sweet and savory. Roasted peaches, asparagus, and red onion top peppery arugula along with creamy goat cheese, shredded chicken, and crunchy pistachios. A drizzle of balsamic reduction makes this salad the absolute dreamiest!

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been republished with all new photos.

I love absolutely everything about this gorgeous salad. It’s a celebration of color, textures, and flavors, both sweet and savory. This really hits all the right notes. The creaminess of goat cheese is such a lovely contrast to the crunch of pistachios. The bite of red onion, tanginess of balsamic, and pepperiness of the arugula all stand out against the natural sweetness of the peaches. The shredded chicken serves as a neutral source of protein that will let all the other ingredients shine!

I really think this is the perfect salad! So delicious and so satisfying! It’s designed to be enjoyed as an entree but if you omit the chicken it would also make a lovely side salad.

Ingredients for Balsamic Roasted Peach Arugula Salad:

• Peaches: I have tested this recipe using both fresh and frozen peach slices so you can use either. This was really important to me because I want this salad to be accessible no matter what time of year it is. If using fresh peaches you’ll thinly slice two peaches. If using frozen peach slices you’ll want to use the equivalent number of slices. A good way to quickly gauge if you have the right amount is to us as many slices as will fill about one-third of your baking sheet.
• Asparagus: I recommend thin stalks of asparagus because they’ll cook quickly and evenly. We’ll cut our asparagus into fourths before roasting.
• Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion adds a bit of a bite to our salad. This balances well with the sweetness of the peaches and the tang of the balsamic.
• Olive oil: A little olive oil helps makes our roasted peaches, red onion, and asparagus perfectly tender.
• Arugula: The pepperiness of the arugula is lovely in this salad and it’s my green of choice here. You can opt for baby spinach leaves if you like too.
• Pistachios: I adore pistachios in a salad and it’s just the right crunch for this one!
• Goat cheese: I love the creamy texture and mild flavor of goat cheese with the other ingredients in this salad. It’s by far the cheese I recommend using. If you’d like to switch things up I’d suggest feta, blue cheese, or gorgonzola (but keep in mind all three of these will have a much bigger flavor).
• Balsamic reduction or glaze: You can make your own balsamic reduction but Iately I’ve been enjoying the ease of a great store-bought balsamic reduction or glaze. The brand I keep in my refrigerator is Alessi but any brand you like will work.
• Salt and pepper: Add salt and black pepper to taste to help amplify the flavors of the ingredients.

How to Make Roasted Balsamic Roasted Peach Arugula Salad

A detailed list of ingredients (with measurements) and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread peach slices on half of a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Add red onion to the baking sheet, leaving enough room for the asparagus to be added later. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the peaches and onion. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Add asparagus. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil on the asparagus and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until asparagus is as tender as you like it. I keep some crunch in mine.

To serve, add arugula to a large salad bowl or platter. Top with chicken, roasted red onions, roasted peach slices, roasted asparagus, goat cheese, and pistachios. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic glaze. Add more balsamic glaze, salt, and/or pepper if you like.

How to Make a Balsamic Reduction

I recommend using a store-bought balsamic reduction or glaze because it’s readily available and so easy. But if you’d like to make your own it’s quite simple!

Add one cup balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium. You should see bubbling along the outside of your pan. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally as vinegar begins to thicken and coat the spoon. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. It will thicken a bit more as it sits and you’ll end up with around 1/4 cup of balsamic glaze. That 1/4 cup packs a lot of flavor so it doesn’t take much to really make the salad wow.

It’s important that you see those bubbles as your balsamic vinegar is cooking. If you’re not seeing the bubbles then you need to increase the heat because your vinegar is not reducing.

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