This seasonal peach and basil chicken salad is likely to become a new end-of-summer (insert sad face) favorite! It’s filled with a tender blend of greens, sweet juicy peaches, herbed grilled chicken, mozzarella, pepitas and NOT to be omitted, crispy prosciutto!! Finish with a tangy balsamic dressing. So much deliciousness!
Peach Basil Chicken Salad with Crispy Prosciutto
Serves 4
4 ripe peaches quartered
2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts/ or sliced store bought rotisserie
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Kosher salt + pepper
6 cups fresh arugula or baby spinach or both
1 cup cherry tomatoes
6 ounces fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese torn/or baby mozzarella balls
1 avocado sliced
1/3 cup toasted peptic seeds/optional
Basil Chicken Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil , plus more for brushing grill
1/4 cup slightly packed chopped fresh basil
1 cloves garlic , minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar /or 2 T of balsamic
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix the above vinaigrette ingredients and adjust seasonings to taste.
To GRILL your chicken: again, I bought and sliced a store bought rotisserie.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, basil, garlic, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp of each). Place chicken in a resealable bag and pound thicker parts of chicken to even thickness with a meat mallet, then pour basil mixture over chicken and evenly distribute basil over chicken. Transfer to refrigerator and marinate 2 – 5 hours.
Preheat a grill to 425 – 450 degrees over medium high heat. Brush grill grates lightly with olive oil then place chicken on grill. Grill until cooked through, rotating once halfway through cooking, about 4 – 5 minutes per side (chicken should register 165 degrees in center of chicken on an instant read thermometer). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes then slice into strips. Using a medium size skillet tear the prosciutto into pieces, add a Tablespoon of olive oil and sauté til crisp. (This combo of salty added to the sweet peaches……makes it!)
In a large salad bowl or platter, combine the arugula and tomatoes. Drizzle a bit of vinaigrette. Top the salad with peaches, chicken, burrata or mozzarella, basil and sliced avocado. Sprinkle with toasted seeds. Again drizzle with vinaigrette.
**Note: this is a recipe you can make your own… add or delete as you see it.
