Say hello to my absolute favourite summer salad: Fresh Attitude Spring Mix Salad with Peaches, Crispy Chickpeas, Goat Cheese and Slivered Almonds! Summer is all about celebrating what’s grown in our backyard and this salad is just that! Long before even partnering with Fresh Attitude, I’ve raved about their greens because it really doesn’t get fresher than this. They are grown literally in our backyard in the Okanagan and honestly taste like you grew them yourself. I always have a package of the arugula and the spring mix greens in the house and try to incorporate greens into every meal, whether it be by adding arugula to my morning eggs, a side mixed greens with dinner or like in this case: a bountiful lunchtime salad that keeps me full and satisfied. You can pick up your Fresh Attitude greens at Thrifty Foods, Loblaws, Sobeys, and Walmart – to name a few!
The base and star of this salad is of course the local Fresh Attitude Spring Mix, which is the perfect base for this sweet and spicy summer salad because it has both spicy greens like radicchio and sweet greens like spinach! When it comes to crafting my salads, I always try to incorporate whatever is local and in season – so BC peaches were the obvious choice here! To incorporate some protein while keeping it light and fresh, I opted for some crispy chickpeas which I tossed in smoked paprika to balance out the sweet components. Incorporating goat cheese for some more protein and a creamy component felt like a good idea and I think feta would be great too! Finally, finishing it off with some almonds for a crunch and a light vinaigrette where I used an aged white balsamic vinegar which was the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. And I understand white balsamic vinegar may not be in everyone’s pantries so instead, you could always opt for a classic dark balsamic and add in a touch of honey for a little added sweetness.
Recipe (makes 4 large salads):
- One large container of Fresh Attitude Spring Mix
- 2 peaches, sliced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and dried completely
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp oil (for frying)
- 50g goat cheese
- 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tbsp slivered almonds
- For the dressing:
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat a sauté pan over medium-high heat with oil. Rinse and drain the can of chickpeas and lay on a paper towel to dry completely.
- To the preheated pan, add the dry chickpeas and sauté for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden on each side. Turn off the heat and toss with smoked paprika. Set aside.
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, add the white balsamic vinegar followed by the olive oil in a slow stream and whisk constantly until well combined. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the salad starting with the Fresh Attitude Spring Mix, followed by the sliced peaches, chickpeas, sliced shallots, goat cheese and slivered almonds. Drizzle with the salad dressing and enjoy!
CHEZ CHANELLE 