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a big white bowl with a peach salad piled with leafy greens, almonds, avocado and basil with the dressing in a glass pitcher on the side
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5 from 3 votes

Peach, Avocado and Bacon Salad

The perfect summer salad! Juicy peaches, creamy avocado, salty bacon, crunchy almonds and fresh basil are tossed with a fresh, zippy dressing. Great for picnics and potlucks!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 258kcal
Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

  • 5 slices bacon (Whole30 compatible if necessary)
  • 5 oz. greens (such as spring greens, spinach, baby kale or arugula)
  • 2 ripe peaches
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup basil leaves, loosely packed
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more if necessary
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the bacon to your desired crispness. I like it somewhat crispy but still with a bit of chew, which takes about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Add the greens to a large mixing bowl.
  • Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. I like to chop them into bite-sized pieces like so: Cut the 2 halves in half lengthwise so you have 4 wedges. Cut those wedges in half lengthwise again and then cut crosswise into 2-3 chunks. Add to the greens.
  • Cut the avocadso in half and remove the pits (watch this video for a quick, safe way to remove the pits). Then cut the flesh into bite-sized chunks and add to the bowl.
  • Chop the bacon and add to the bowl. Roughly chop the almonds and add to the bowl. Roughly chop the basil and add to the bowl.
  • In a mason jar or small bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and shake or whisk until combined. Pour over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if desired.
    You'll notice a lot of the good stuff falls to the bottom of the bowl. That's why I suggest you then pour everything into a serving bowl so all the good stuff ends up on top!

Notes

Make ahead and storage
You can make the dressing up to 2 weeks in advance and keep it in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and give it a good shake or whisk if needed before using.
If you want to bring this salad to a potluck or picnic, combine the greens, chopped peaches, chopped almonds and chopped basil. Leave the avocados whole. Make the dressing but don't add it to the salad yet. Once you're ready to serve, halve, pit and chop the avocados and add to the salad, then toss everything with the dressing.
Once fully combined and dressed, this salad is best eaten immediately.
Substitutions and variations
  • For vegetarian/vegan: leave out the bacon. You can add pitted Kalamata olives for more saltiness and texture.
  • For nut-free: replace the almonds with pumpkin seeds (no need to chop).
  • If you want cheese, try adding crumbled goat cheese, feta or blue cheese.
  • For another herb, try mint or tarragon.
  • For the greens, you can use a spring mix, spinach, baby kale or chopped kale, arugula or any other greens you like.
  • For the dressing, feel free to use any vinegar you like (if you need it to be gluten-free, Paleo or Whole30, don't use malt vinegar which has gluten). You can also use lemon juice or even orange juice instead of the vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2331IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg