here in LA we had temps reaching between 110-115°F, we're still in the thick of it, even though the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees. so as you can imagine, there's no turning my oven on - at least for dinner. frank and i have been subsisting on dinner smoothies, stovetop dinners like fritattas, and this salad!

when i think of summer produce at its' height this salad comes to mind. it's got most of the summer all-stars wrapped up into one cool, lettuce-less dish to keep you super refreshed throughout these blazing days. you may remember a similar salad that i posted nearly 2 years ago, when we were going through a similar heatwave in NYC, and i was 8 1/2 months pregnant with amesy! so, if you can't tell already, we love this salad! it usually gets draped over a protein, either a roasted fish filet (like halibut), or over a sliced chicken breast, but i could see it being used to stuff roasted zucchini boats; or, if chopped smaller, a really salsa variation.

the core ingredients:

avocado
cucumber
peach
tomato

variation #1: jalapeno, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, s & p.

variation #2: pine nuts, za'atar pesto, flaky sea salt

i love these 2 different takes. #1 is punchy and bright, and #2 has some deeper herb-y flavors, they're both so satisfying. i also love that because it doesn't contain any lettuce or greens, it keeps well in the fridge for a couple days, and packs up well for a picnic, beach day, or hike. win, win!

xo, dear friends!

1 summer salad, 2 ways | v & gf

i think this salad would be great with nectarines or cherries, too. as for the jalapeno, if you're not into spice, feel free to leave it out, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

print the recipe!

| serves 2-4 |

1 ripe avocado, sliced into eighths, then cut into small chunks
1 medium cucumber, quartered, then cut into half-inch chunks
2 peaches (or nectarines), cut into eighths, then sliced into half-inch chunks
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
half a small red onion, chopped fine
half a jalapeno, seeded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice from 1 large lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt & fresh ground pepper

summer salad #2 can be found here :)

1 Summer Salad, 2 Ways: Tomato, Peach & Avocado Salad | Dolly and Oatmeal

method

to a large mixing bowl, add the avocado, cucumber, peaches, tomatoes, and red onion. using a microplane, grate the jalapeno over the salad mixture (if you don't have a microplane, simply mince the jalapeno with a sharp knife), then add the cilantro.
add the lime juice, oil, and season with salt and pepper. give everything a good toss, and taste for seasoning; add more if desired.
store in the fridge for up to 2 days, or serve as is :)