Take advantage of the last few weeks of summer with this absolutely gorgeous and incredibly delicious Grilled Apricot Salad. Peppery arugula or mixed greens contrasts perfectly with fresh apricots. Mozzarella pearls, toasted almonds and a honey balsamic vinaigrette complete this salad to add complexity to the flavour. Sweet, tangy fruit, heart-healthy nuts and salty cheese all come together to make this one of the best salads you’ve ever tasted. What’s not to love?!

What You Need To Make Grilled Apricot Salad

• Apricots - Apricots are definitely the star of the show but if you prefer you can also substitute the apricots with any stone fruit of your choosing such as peaches, nectarines or plums.  
• Arugula or Mixed Greens - Arugula is such a fantastic leafy green and in our opinion isn’t used nearly enough in salads! It has this wonderful peppery flavour, however, if you don’t have arugula on hand feel free to substitute it for mixed greens or even spinach. 
• Mozzarella - who doesn’t like mozzarella? It adds a fresh, slightly sour saltiness to the salad that pairs really well with the apricots.
• Almonds - for that much needed crunch in salads we chose almonds! You can swap them for any nuts you have on hand such as pecans, walnuts or even hazelnuts. 
• Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette - this dressing is just perfect with the salad! It is easy to whip together and is not too sweet and not to0 oily either.  Make extra and store in the fridge for other weekday salads or even use it as a spread on sandwiches. 
• Red Pepper Flakes - red pepper flakes are completely optional but if you like a bit of heat in your salads, nothing beats a sprinkling of red pepper flakes!

How To Make It

First things first, make the dressing. Whisk together all the ingredients and set aside.

Next you are going to grill the apricots. Don’t worry, it seems intimidating but is simple easy to do! First, cut the apricot in half with a sharp knife and remove the stone. Drizzle each half with olive oil and salt. Grill it on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, face down. That’s it! 

Finally, toss the greens with your prepared dressing and add mozzarella pearls and toasted almonds. Top with more dressing, grilled apricots and red chili flakes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Variations

One of the reasons that we love this salad is that it’s so versatile and can be easily adapted for anyone to enjoy! Here are some variations:

• Experiment with different stone fruits - peaches, nectarines and plums are all great options to swap the apricots for. 
• Don’t like arugula? Substitute it for any leafy greens of your choice. Mixed greens, spinach or even kale all could work well.
• Try different types of cheese - Feta is a great option in replace of the mozzarella. It is saltier than mozzarella and has a stronger flavour.
• Nut allergy? Use pumpkin seeds instead of almonds.
• Make it more filling with an added grain like quinoa.
• Vegan? Swap the cheese for avocado.
• Want to make it a full meal? Pair the salad with grilled chicken, roasted pork or cooked quinoa.