Peach and Arugula Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

You know me.

Even though everyone else has already moved onto pumpkin spice and everything nice, I couldn’t let summer go without sharing just one more summery recipe. And it just so happens to be a recipe that is also incredibly easy to throw together, ya know, in case you happen to need any last minute recipes for this holiday weekend.

So, here’s the deal with this peach and arugula salad with crispy prosciutto. Like many of my recipes it was kind of a happy accident. Our neighbor invited us over for a spontaneous last minute bbq, and, not wanting to go empty handed (obviously), I took a quick survey of our pantry to assess what we had on hand and see what sort of concoction I could come up with that would be at least halfway decent. And this salad is where I landed.

We had lots of arugula from the farmer’s market and it’s a great base that adds just a slight bite to any salad (but spinach, a bit of radicchio or really any other lettuce would also make a great base). Then I added the peaches for a touch of seasonal summery sweetness. I always have plenty of pickled red onions on hand so a few of those went in for a bit of a tangy kick and a little crunch. Some prosciutto went in for saltiness and the almonds added a nice smokiness and both contributed to the crunchy texture factor. And the honey dijon dressing is the cherry (Or should I say “honey”?) on top that ties all those beautiful textures and flavors (smoky, sweet, salty, bitter, fresh, juicy) together in one nice summery salad.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SALAD

• About 4 cups of arugula

• 1/2 a large peach, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup pickled red onions

• 4 ounces prosciutto (omit to make this recipe vegan)

• 1/4 cup smoked almonds, roughly chopped

FOR THE DRESSING

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. To a small bowl add all dressing ingredients. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

2. To a large skillet set over medium heat, add the prosciutto in a single layer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, flipping with tongs if necessary, until the prosciutto is nice and crispy and most of the fat has cooked off. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. In a serving dish or bowl, layer first the arugula, then top with the peach slices and pickled red onion. Crumble the crispy prosciutto on top, then sprinkle with the chopped almonds and finish by drizzling the dressing over the salad. Enjoy immediately!

NOTES

The measurements for this salad are really all rough estimates that are easily adjustable based on what you have and like and how many people you need to serve. Feel free to add more or less of any of the provisions. The dressing recipe, as well, is easily doubled, tripled, etc. Truly, this recipe is more about presenting the combination of flavors (peach, crispy prosciutto, pickled onions, smoked almonds) and less about the amounts of each ingredients, so you can truly just use this as a base/guide to run with and make your own.