Whenever peach season rolls around, this simple and fresh peach arugula salad is on repeat in my kitchen. Juicy grilled peaches, peppery arugula, and salty shaved Parmesan… yum.
This peach arugula salad is always on rotation for our Italian dinners. It was inspired by my travels to Tuscany (my favorite place on Earth), where I first tried this wonderful sweet-and-salty combo. 2025 will be the first year in a long time that we’ll be skipping our trip to Italy, so I’m recreating as many memories from there as I can at home.
Not only is this salad incredibly quick and effortless to throw together, it requires minimal cooking and looks so sophisticated. My mouth is literally watering thinking about how the caramelized peaches taste with the tangy arugula… anyway, I need to stay focused. As I mentioned, I love serving this peach arugula salad for Italian nights — which means dishing up homemade pasta and a few sauce options, osso buco or another protein, and a tiramisu cake for dessert. Throw some toasted pieces of sourdough bread on top, and it’s 10/10!
Obsessed with summer salads like me? Check out this tomato peach burrata salad for a sweet-and-salty twist, this berry spinach salad for a crunch, and this Greek watermelon feta salad for a refreshing new favorite.
Peach Arugula Salad Video
How To Make Peach Arugula Salad
Summer is already short enough — your time in the kitchen should be too. It’s a good thing that this peach arugula salad recipe only takes 15 minutes to make!
- Grill the peaches: Lightly brush the peach wedges with olive oil, then grill them over medium-high heat on an outdoor grill or grill pan for 1–2 minutes per side. Allow them to cool slightly.
- Dress the arugula: Add the arugula to a large bowl and lightly toss it with the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Add the other ingredients: Layer on the shaved and grated Parmesan, grilled peach wedges, and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle the salad with the balsamic glaze and a bit more olive oil, then season to taste with flaky salt.
Hot tip: This salad comes together in a flash, but if you want to save even more time, grill the peaches and shave the Parmesan the day before. Make sure to store all the components separately to avoid a soggy salad.
Tips For the Best Peach Arugula Salad
Once I tried the authentic Italian version of a peach arugula salad, I knew I needed to take this recipe back home and share it with you guys. Here are the best tips for a peachy-keen salad!
- Choose ripe peaches. The peaches are the main character on this stage, so prioritize quality. I look for ripe but firm peaches at my local farmer’s market (I especially love freestone peaches!).
- Grill the peaches in wedges. This helps the peaches to cook faster and caramelize more evenly. Plus, the wedges are easier to eat in a salad like this.
- Use both shaved and grated Parmesan. It’s my little secret, but now it can be your little secret too. I love the combo of larger shaved pieces of Parmesan and fine grated Parmesan that falls between the arugula. It’s totally up to you, though!
- Toast the pine nuts. This makes a huge difference in the flavor! I usually just toast the pine nuts on a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they start to smell nutty. If you don’t have pine nuts, substitute them with toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
- Know the difference between balsamic glaze and vinegar. Although you can totally use balsamic vinegar in this recipe, I prefer the sweeter balsamic glaze — which is just a reduced, thickened version of the vinegar.
- Dress the arugula separately. Before adding any toppings, I always toss the arugula with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice to make sure all the delicate leaves are coated evenly. This also leaves room for a pretty top layer (you know the saying “you eat with your eyes first”).
- Make it your own! The options are truly endless. Not a fan of Parmesan or don’t have it on hand? Try salty feta cheese, milky burrata, fresh mozzarella, or creamy goat cheese instead. For a fresh balance, add fresh basil leaves. To lean more into the sweet side, drizzle some honey on top. If you’re looking for protein, layer on prosciutto or grilled chicken.
Storage
I highly recommend scarfing down this salad as soon as possible to prevent the arugula from getting soggy. Once the salad is dressed, it will only last up to 24 hours in an airtight container in the fridge.
More Peach-y Recipes
- Southern Peach Cobbler — Warm spiced peaches topped with flaky buttermilk biscuits
- Peach Turnovers — 4 ingredient treat made with puff pastry
- Air Fryer Peaches — Only three ingredients and 13 minutes for a mouthwatering sweet treat
- Rustic Peach Galette — I call this a “lazy pie”… but it sure doesn’t taste lazy!
- Peach Crisp — Juicy peach filling, sweet oat crumble, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (aka heaven)
Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 oz baby arugula
- 3 large peaches sliced into thick wedges
- 1/2 cup Parmesan shaved and grated
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1/2 tsp salt adjust to preference
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Lightly brush the peach wedges with olive oil. Grill them over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes per side, or until grill marks form and the peaches are slightly caramelized. Allow them to cool slightly.
- Add the arugula to a large bowl and lightly toss it with the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Mix in your desired amount of shaved Parmesan for larger chunks, and/or grate a bit on top for a finer texture. Add the grilled peach wedges.
- Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top of the salad.
- Drizzle the salad with the balsamic glaze and a bit more olive oil. Season to taste with flaky salt, and enjoy!
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