I’ve been dreaming of a peach salad for a few weeks now and am so happy I finally put one together. This basil lime chicken and peach kale salad is the dream of summer. It is bright, full of texture and really hits the spot! I enjoyed it with some homemade croutons for lunch and dinner and can’t wait to make it again. Oh, peaches are so much the epitome of summer, and this salad fits right in!
Recipe overview
In this chicken peach and kale salad, we’re using peaches, kale, sauteed chickpeas, toasted almonds, corn and basil. We also have a simple yet delicious honey balsamic dressing. The basil makes it to be honest!
Here’s what you can change.
How to customize this salad
- Keep all the ingredients separate if you’re worried about sogginess and assemble salads as needed. I like to pre-assemble them in containers just to make life easier. Whatever you do, don’t mix it all up and add the dressing if you intend to eat it the next day.
- You can use fresh, canned, or frozen corn.
- Dairy-free or vegan? Skip the feta! Nutritional yeast on top of this salad would be a delicious swap.
- If you just don’t like feta- swap it out for gorgonzola, blue cheese, or goat cheese!
- If you don’t have peaches- mangoes, apples, nectarines, apricots, and even plums would work in this!
- Instead of chickpeas, try cooked and cooled quinoa, baked tofu cubes, or tempeh.
- Add some more crunch! Walnuts, cashews, peanuts, seeds, or croutons would be great.
- Adding avocado would be awesome if you have any!
- Swap kale for spinach or other salad greens you enjoy. Kale is the best for these though! It seems to hold up best in the fridge in my experience.
Use a dressing of your choice
Honey balsamic worked great for this, but you can use whatever dressing you like or have on hand!
I think a tahini based dressing would be great for this, too. An apple cider-based vinaigrette would complement the flavors well, too. And if you have any white balsamic vinegar, that’s even better suited to these flavors.
Turn this salad into a wrap
If you think a salad isn’t enough for a meal for you, I highly recommend wrapping this salad up in a tortilla or stuffing it into a pita pocket to add more volume.
How to Store this Basil Chicken and Peach Salad
This salad lasts in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s not freezer friendly. It tastes great cold or at room temp. If you are going to prep it or at least keep leftovers, we’d recommend mixing the dressing right before serving so the salad doesn’t get too wilty.
Basil Lime Chicken & Peach Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken/marinade
- 2 limes halved
- 2 TBSP olive oil divided
- 1 TBSP honey or agave or maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 cup basil chopped finely, divided
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 16 oz chicken breast sliced thinly
For the salad
- 2 peaches sliced
- 1 cup corn fresh, canned or frozen
- 1 cup walnuts chopped, or almonds
- 1 cup feta cheese or gorgonzola or goat cheese
- 6 cups kale chopped, or spinach or greens of your choice
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBSP honey sub agave or maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce sub soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, combine juice from 2 limes, half of the olive oil, honey, half of the basil, garlic soy sauce and salt. Stir well and taste. Place the sliced chicken in a big bowl or baking dish and pour the marinade on top. Let the chicken sit for 15 minutes up to 12 hours in the fridge, covered.
- Chop and prepare the remaining salad ingredients and set aside.
- Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper in a small jar or container. Seal and shake well. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining oil (1 tbsp) and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Without crowding the pan, add a few pieces of chicken. Cook the chicken on each side for 4-5 minutes; longer, if the pieces are thicker. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat until all the chicken has been cooked.
- Let the chicken rest and cool completely before slicing to assemble them with the salads. Hot chicken = soggy salad!
- Place 2 cups of kale in each container (deep containers are better for this) followed by 1/3 cup of corn, walnuts, and feta cheese. Divide the sliced peaches among each container along with the chicken. Top with remaining basil. Keep the dressing separate.
Eden says
This salad is delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I enjoyed it with pears too when I didn’t have peaches. Could you please post nutrition facts as well?