Published: Sep 15, 2025
This fresh summer salad recipe with juicy peaches, sweet blackberries, creamy feta, and crunchy candied pecans tossed in a fragrant tarragon vinaigrette is the kind of salad that makes you forget you’re eating “just a salad.”
The Perfect End-of-Summer Salad Recipe
When peaches come on in late summer, it’s all I can do not to add them to everything I eat. Especially salads. I mean, how good does a Peach Panzanella Salad with Burrata sound? Or a BLT Salad with Peaches? I’ll tell you, they deliver.
That’s why after I had a version of this peach salad with blackberries at my cousin Erin’s house, I knew it needed to be added to the summer salad recipe rotation.
This fresh summer salad is everything right with salads — the ying and yang of flavors. The sweet fruit is complemented with the zip of tangy feta cheese, a little red onion heat, and a tarragon vinaigrette with the sweet crunch of candied pecans. Could this be the hot girl summer salad of the season? This girl says, “Yes!”
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
I buy whole heads of butter lettuce, trim, rinse, and pop in my salad spinner, but you can find butter lettuce in packaged salad bags, as well.
Radicchio adds balance. With its slightly spicy, somewhat bitter bite, the red leaf keeps this fruit salad from becoming overly sweet. Plus, it’s pretty.
Ripen your peaches on the counter if they haven’t yet hit their peak. A day or two sitting on the counter will do wonders for bringing them to their ultimate juiciness. A peach that’s too firm won’t be easy to peel or pull away from the pit.
What’s in This Recipe
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter lettuce and radicchio — Gently tear the larger lettuce leaves into bite-size forkable pieces
- Peaches and blackberries — this fruit combination pairs perfectly in texture and flavor
- Red onion — adds just a touch of spicy heat
- Candied pecans — the crunchy accent I love in salads. They’re easy to make yourself or find them in the specialty section of the grocery store
- Feta cheese — I always buy the block for more flavor instead of pre-crumbled
- Tarragon dressing — seasoned rice vinegar adds a subtle sweetness with Dijon mustard bringing the tang, with fresh herbal wisps of tarragon leaves
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Instead of peaches, choose another type of stone fruit like plums or nectarines
- Try swapping basil or mint for the tarragon
- Goat cheese or blue cheese make great alternatives to feta in any salad
- Add chopped cooked chicken breast for more protein
How to Peel Peaches the Easy Way
If you like, you can certainly leave the skins on your peaches. However, if you prefer a non-fuzzy bite, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, dunk the peach for 30 seconds, remove, and slip-slide those skins away!
How to Make the Perfect Summer Salad
- Prep the greens. Butter lettuce leaves are on the smaller size, but larger pieces can be torn in half along with the radicchio leaves.
- Nestle the fruit among the leaves. This salad is a pretty one, and taking care in the placement of the peaches and blackberries adds to it’s deliciousness.
- Whisk the salad dressing until thickened and smooth. I used a small bowl this time around, but I’ll often add the ingredients to a jar fitted with a lid, and shake well instead of whisking.
- Dress the salad and add the toppings. Always taste for seasoning and add more kosher salt and black pepper to suit your taste. I usually top the salad with a few more nuts and feta cheese for a pretty presentation.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Summer Salad with Peaches and Blackberries
Juicy peaches, sweet blackberries, and a tarragon vinaigrette make this summer salad anything but ordinary.
Servings 4
Calories 357kcal
Ingredients
- 8 cups butter lettuce
- 1 cup radicchio
- 3 peaches, pitted and skins removed if desired
- 1 pint blackberries
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves , chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Combine the lettuces. Roughly tear 8 cups butter lettuce leaves and 1 cup raddichio leaves and toss in a large bowl.
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Add the toppings. Cut 3 peaches into slices and add to the lettuces with 1 pint blackberries. Add ¼ red onion slices, ¼ cup candied pecans, and ¼ cup feta cheese.
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Mix the vinaigrette and dress the salad. In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, plus ⅛ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss, and taste for seasoning. Add more feta cheese as desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 4049IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 3mg
What to Serve With a Summer Salad
More Summer Salad Recipes
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