Sweet, crunchy, and fresh with loads of texture! Use the freshest farmers market summer greens in this simple Nectarine, Pistachio and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. This recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.
Summertime salads are one of my favorite things next to fresh berries. Tender leafy greens are so fresh, crisp and colorful. All the reason to eat copious amounts of salad and to take advantage of their seasonal abundance.
Famers markets are full of all summer has to offer right now.
Before leaving for Texas, I whipped up this salad with fresh greens from the farmers market to share with ya’ll while I was away from my home on Whidbey Island for a few weeks.
Farmers Market Finds
Now that I’m in Texas (haalp – I’m melting!), I’m taking advantage of fresh Texas veggies. My Ma and I found a farmers market not too far from her home in North Texas and we’re thrilled with their abundant offerings. Although we didn’t locate any fresh lettuce, we did find a few things I’d never see at our farmers market back home right now. So far my favorite are:
Peaches.
Fresh Okra (!!), which we promptly grabbed and shoved into a big ole’ pot of black eyed peas. Mmmm mmmm.
Watermelon, currently eating in big spoonfuls.
Cantaloupe.
Jalapeños.
Bell Peppers.
Cucumbers, one of my favorite things about summer!
Beef Steak Tomatoes.
And oh my goodness, we even found a vendor that offers fresh vegetarian and vegan tamales! We scored big and brought a ton of them home!
Have you found your nearest farmers market? If not, check out Local Harvest to find the one closest to you. They make it easy to search by zip code, so even if traveling this summer, there’s still a way to eat local!
I usually tend to over-by at markets though, so I have to restrain myself or plan accordingly. There’s so much inspiration!
A Few Recipe Notes
- This salad is versatile. The dressing pairs with so many ripe fruits and berries. Besides nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and/or black berries can be added or subbed. Walnuts, pecans or almonds can stand in for the pistachios. Gorgonzola cheese would make a delicious sub for the goat cheese too.
- The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It’s a fabulous dressing to have on hand for summer salads.
Get em’ while they’re fresh y’all!
Nectarine, Pistachio and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Dressing (yields about 1/2 C (135g):
- 1 1/2 Tbs Raw and Local Honey
- 4 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbs Champaign Vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Poppy Seeds
- Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
For the Salad:
- 8 C (120g) Fresh Tender Lettuce Greens such as bib, red leaf, romaine.
- 3 Nectarines, white or yellow cut into wedges
- 2 oz (56g) Goat Cheese crumbled
- 6 Tbs (64g) Pistachios roasted and salted, shells removed
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- In a lidded jar, add the honey, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, poppy seeds and salt. Shake until ingredients are emulsified. Taste for seasoning/sweet adjustment.
- Store leftover dressing in a lidded container at room temperature and use within a few days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to two weeks. Bring to room temperature before dressing the salad.
For the Salad:
- Soak the greens in cool water for about five minutes. Drain and rinse throughly. Tear into bite size pieces. Arrange the nectarines on the salad and top with goat cheese and pistachios. Toss with dressing just prior to serving.
I used mixed baby greens for this salad. I took it to a party and it was a hit. Simple to make, great use of nectarines, and the light dressing just topped it off.
So happy to hear Janet! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and five star rating! :D
Fantastic salad and a big hit at a dinner party we brought it to! I doubled all of the ingredients, used a little less olive oil and added about 1-2 TBS of water to the dressing to lighten it up a bit.
Love that oil tip, Jeannie! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to hear.
This salad is summer perfection! I love nectarines and the pairing with pistachios and goat cheese is spot on. I have to make this for lunch tomorrow! :)
Ooooh so refreshing, juicy and sweet! I hope you enjoy it Laura!
I loved your salad when I saw it on Instagram! I think this is going to be my dinner tonight! It looks so refreshing, vibrant and beautiful! Love love it ! Especially the nectarines and pistachios in this gorgeous salad :)
Now I’m thinking a dollop of your stone fruit jam would be a fine stand in for the honey! I hope you and your kiddos enjoy it Amisha! xo
Fruit + cheese + nuts/seeds is the perfect salad combination – this one looks so delicious! It makes me excited for when peaches are in season here… hopefully only a few weeks more to go!
Peaches would be a fabulous sub for the nectarines, Chelsea. WA grown peaches just started making an appearance… we wait all summer for this! (Watermelon too!) I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’m the same way at the farmers market! I have to remind myself that’s there is only so much time and so many stomachs to eat all of the food, lol. It’s just so exciting. :)
I haven’t been able to find many nectarines (which are my favorite) but we do have some local peaches that would make a nice sub in this recipe. I love the sound of the poppy seed dressing with the crunch of the pistachios. Such a delightful combo! Can’t wait to try this one, Traci!
LOL – so true, Sarah! Then I run out of room in my freezer due to berry overload! Peaches would be brilliant on this salad… I just tried cherries and love it!
Such a beautiful and summery salad!
Thank you Pamela!
What a beautiful salad that makes the most of summer’s gorgeous produce. Totally restaurant worthy! Love all the textures going on here- crunchy from the nuts, creamy from the cheese, juicy from the fruit, and crisp from the lettuce. All the good things. :)
Thank you Emily! Farmers market finds are so inspiring and I feel like lettuce is such an easy way to let all the fresh ingredients shine. :D
This salad is almost too pretty to eat! I mean, absolutely gorgeous!!!
Thank you so much Mimi!
Yet another of your recipes has jumped right on to my menu! I can hardly wait to make this, and share it. Brilliant!
Thank you for your kind words, Greg! I hope you enjoy it!
What a gorgeous salad, Traci! I love everything in there – fruit, nuts and goat cheese – yes, please! My local farmers market has been my backyard this year – All the veggies have been growing like crazy! Have fun in Texas and stay cool!
I’m with ya Geraldine! So much summer goodness. I looove your backyard garden… just incredible! I’m certain you’re roasting tomatoes about now! Delicious!
I will try it. I also love grilled pineapple on salad. Whidbey temperature is perfect right now. But the pool in Texas has me a bit envious!
Oh wow Heide! Grilled pineapple! That sounds fabulous. I gotta say, the pool is nice… enjoy that cool Whidbey breeze!
Oh my dear.. What a gorgeous summer salad this is. I am such a fan of using fruits and nuts in my salads and I cannot get enough of these during the summer months.
Beautiful mouthwatering photography as always.
Cheers my friend!
Thank you Aysegul! I love them too… so many combinations and textures.
Nectarines are all over the place and I love it!
Beautiful summer salad and stunning pictures :)
Thank you Maria! I hope you enjoy the salad! :D
What a gorgeous salad Traci! Nectarines are always a summer favorite. I also love the pistachios and goat cheese in this one. We’re roasting here too, 98 degrees yesterday! Ugh! Enjoy your time with your family!
Summer in a bowl! Nothin’ left to say! (Except ‘delicious’!!)
Thank you Annie! :D
Oh you hit all of my favorites with this one…and the dressing sounds like the perfect addition. I’ll be using this with all of the fruits of the summer. Thanks, Traci! Enjoy your time with Mom!
That dressing, Jean… scrumptious! I love the little poppy seeds in it. Thank you for your note.. we’re SO enjoying our time together. :D
Yum! This looks like a great salad for beating the Texas heat. 80 degrees for the low temp this morning is not the way to start the day! We’ll have to try this one soon.
Agreed, Tom! I melted this morning on my walk :D I hope you enjoy the salad!
Nectarines, goat cheese, and pistachios are three of my all time favorite salad ingredients, so you really hit it out of the park for me with this one! You’ve got me drooling over salad at 7am :) Pinning!
Me too Medha! Those salty pistachios are lip smackin with that goat cheese. A 7 AM salad sounds good to me! Thank you for pinning Medha!
I love simple summer salads like this! Isn’t summer produce the best?
Me too Karen! It is the best!
The flavor profile of this salad is fantastic! The summer tastes sound so yummy and refreshing!
Thank you Luci!