This basil and peach chicken salad is a fresh, light summer meal. If you want a healthy peach-and-chicken recipe, this one delivers — especially if you have leftover roast chicken. The peach and basil vinaigrette is simple to make and lifts the whole dish.
I first noticed the combination of chicken, basil and peaches online and was curious to try it. Fruit in savory salads isn’t always my first choice, but the idea of peaches with basil and chicken sounded appealing — and it worked beautifully.
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. This salad was a hit with me; I’m hopeful my family will warm to fruity chicken salads too. The concept is similar in spirit to other fruit-forward chicken salads I’ve tried, with a bright vinaigrette and simple ingredients.
How do you feel about fruit in savoury recipes?
Fruit with savory ingredients can be divisive — my husband, for example, isn’t keen on fruit paired with chicken. Still, I like to experiment and make dishes I’m excited about. This salad is forgiving and adaptable: it’s ideal for using leftover roast chicken, and you can scale the quantities up or down depending on how many people you’re serving.
If you’re feeding a crowd, simply use more peaches and more chicken. If you have only a little roast chicken left, you can still make a tasty single portion.
Ingredient notes for peach and chicken salad
See the recipe card below for exact quantities. The main components are:
- Peaches – Choose ripe but firm peaches so they’re easy to halve and griddle. Overripe peaches can be soft and harder to char, while underripe ones are difficult to stone.
- Salad greens and veg – I used iceberg lettuce, red pepper, celery and spring onion, but feel free to swap or add other leaves and vegetables.
- Chicken – Leftover roast chicken is perfect. If you don’t have leftovers, quickly pan-fry a chicken breast and slice it into strips.
For the peach vinaigrette you’ll need:
- A ripe peach – A soft, ripe peach is best for the dressing since it will be blended and adds natural sweetness.
- Vinegar – White wine vinegar works well; red wine vinegar is an acceptable alternative.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- Fresh basil leaves
Do you have to griddle the peaches?
Griddling peaches gives them a lovely char and concentrates their sweetness, which complements the savory elements of the salad. If you’re short on time, you can simply slice ripe peaches and add them raw — they’ll still be delicious.
An easy peach vinaigrette recipe
The peach vinaigrette is the highlight: it’s quick and versatile. Blend a peeled, chopped peach with basil, white wine vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt until smooth. The vinegar keeps the dressing from being overly sweet while letting the peach and basil flavors shine.
How to adapt this peach chicken salad recipe
This salad is extremely flexible. Swap or add vegetables like radishes, green beans or avocado. For a vegetarian version, try crumbled feta or grilled halloumi instead of chicken. Leftover pork or cooked prawns would also work well.
If peaches aren’t available or you want variation, nectarines, apricots or plums make a natural substitution. Berries such as raspberries, blueberries or strawberries can be used; add them fresh without cooking.
Can you make this salad in advance?
You can prepare the components ahead of time, but keep the dressing separate until serving so the lettuce doesn’t become soggy. Store the salad and vinaigrette in the fridge and combine just before serving. Griddled peaches are lovely warm, but they’re also fine chilled.
Recipe
Chicken Peach Salad with Peach and Basil Vinaigrette
Corina Blum
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 peach cut in half
- 50 g iceberg lettuce
- 200 g leftover roast chicken diced
- ½ red pepper diced
- 1 stick of celery finely sliced
- 1 spring onion sliced
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 peach skinned and chopped
- 4 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon basil leaves chopped
Instructions
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Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth. A stick blender or small food processor works well.
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Brush the cut side of the peach with a little oil and griddle for about one minute. Turn the peach 90 degrees and cook another minute to create a light char or criss-cross marks.
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In a bowl combine the chicken, red pepper, celery and spring onion. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
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Arrange lettuce leaves on plates, top with the tossed salad and place half a griddled peach on each serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious salad recipes
If you enjoy main-course salads, try experimenting with other combinations. This peach-and-basil dressing adapts well to fruits like nectarines, apricots or stone fruits, and pairs nicely with grilled halloumi, prawns or pork as alternatives to chicken.
You might also enjoy other refreshing salads that pair fruit and herbs with savory elements — simple swaps create many new variations.
Keep in touch
If you make this basil and peach chicken salad, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Feedback from readers is always welcome.
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