Grilled Peach Corn and Quinoa Salad
Salads are my go-to summer meal no matter dinner, lunch or even breakfast–just put an egg on it. That counts, right?
I’ve been trying all sorts of different ingredient combinations—some more successful than others.
Summer is the best time for salad experimentation because there is so much good stuff in season.
I always start with the obvious base of greens.
After that I keep throwing in more and more things. It’s a great way to use up leftovers like grains, veggies, fruit and cheese.
These big bowls are a total jumble. I love a good garbage salad because no bite is ever the same. They are the best kind of mess.
My salads sound random, but I do have a strategy when I’m adding all these ingredients.
For this grilled peach corn and quinoa salad, I went for a mix of flavors from salty to sweet and textures from crunchy to soft.
I started by firing up the grill. Two ears of corn and sliced peaches went on the grates until they were striped with grill marks.
After the corn cooled for a few minutes, I used my chef’s knife to slice off the kernels. I find that I do this more often than eating right off the cob.
A really filling salad was my goal in the end, so instead of just keeping it to arugula, I added quinoa to the greens along with halved cherry tomatoes.
For the dressing, I whisked together white balsamic vinaigrette. I like using white balsamic vinegar for summer salads because it’s lighter.
Crumbly pecorino cheese amped up the savory side of the salad with some saltiness.
I combined all the components of this grilled peach corn and quinoa salad in a big bowl and lightly drizzled on the vinaigrette.
Peaches and corn are a wonderful summer combo that I only have in season, so they taste more special.
PrintGrilled Peach, Corn and Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-9 minutes
- Total Time: 16-19 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
For salad
2 ears of corn, shucked
2 peaches, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 ounces baby arugula
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 ounce crumbled pecorino
1 tablespoon minced chives
For vinaigrette
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
Rub the corn and peaches with olive oil. Grill the corn until it is lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes. Grill the peaches until they have grill marks, about 1-2 minutes per side. Let the corn cool slightly before slicing the kernels off the cob.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, peaches, arugula, quinoa, tomatoes, pecorino and chives. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad.
