Peach & Spiced Ricotta Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
A simple, beautiful salad that’s perfect for summer-time lunch or a wonderful complement to tonight’s dinner. Mild baby spinach and crisp endive – combined with succulent peaches, rich pecans, and creamy spiced ricotta – makes the perfect bed for sweet-and-tangy honey-lemon vinaigrette. It will leave you s-peach-less!
ingredients
Spinach & Endive Salad:
- 8 oz Baby Spinach
- 1 head Endive, torn into pieces
- 2 whole Fresh Yellow Peaches, sliced and diced
- ¾ cup Pecans, chopped
Spiced Ricotta:
- 1 cup Ricotta (V: dairy-free ricotta)
- ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- TYL* Salt & Pepper (S&P), *to your liking
Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 2 whole Lemons, juiced
- 2 tbsp Pinot Noir Vinegar, or other red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Honey
- ½ tsp Thyme
- TYL* Salt & Pepper (S&P), *to your liking
Instructions
Honey, don't forget the dressing. Combine EVOO, lemon juice, Pinot Noir vinegar, honey, thyme, and S&P in a small bowl. Cover, shake-shake-shake, and done (yes, it’s that easy!). Set aside.Ricotta get going. Mix ricotta, red pepper flakes, and S&P together in a small bowl. Taste and add spices to your liking.You want a peach of me? Indulge in a peach variety (what could be better?) by thinly slicing and dicing peaches. If you purchased whole pecans, roughly chop. Combine peaches, pecans, and baby spinach in a large bowl, adding in endive as you tear off leaves. Add ½ honey-lemon vinaigrette, cover, and shake it like there’s no tomorrow.Lettuce celebrate! Arrange salad leaves on a serving platter, add dollops of ricotta onto greens, sprinkle with S&P, and drizzle with remaining dressing (as needed). Unbe-leaf-able!
Notes & Tips
Make it a meal. Looking for something a tad more filling? Here’s some ideas: add grilled shrimp, salmon, chicken breast, or skirt steak to top it off. Another idea: double the honey-lemon vinaigrette and use as a marinade for your protein. Oh yeah!
