This salad has taken over my summer.
It’s loaded: sweet figs and nectarines, crispy pancetta, creamy goat cheese, ripe avocado and crunchy pistachios. A bright nectarine vinaigrette ties everything together—tart, slightly sweet and perfectly vinegary. The balance of flavors and textures is exactly what I want on warm evenings.
This felt like a refreshing change after a stretch of boring or uninspired salads. Simple, bold components—especially the pancetta—make it feel indulgent without being heavy. It’s the kind of weeknight salad that easily doubles as dinner, and it’s flexible enough to be dressed up on the weekend with extra goat cheese and more pancetta if you want to make it decadent.
A fresh baguette is the perfect accompaniment—the crunchy crust with a soft interior soaks up the sweet-savory dressing and makes the meal feel complete. Toast a few slices, spread a little goat cheese if you like, and use the bread to mop up the leftover vinaigrette.
This salad fills you up but still feels light and bright. It’s perfect for warm-weather dinners, picnic spreads or casual weekend meals when you want something colorful and satisfying.
Nectarine and Fig Summer Salad with Crispy Pancetta
2 to 4
35 mins
Ingredients
- 4 cups spring greens
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 8 slices pancetta, fried
- 2 nectarines, sliced
- 1 cup fresh figs, quartered
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Nectarine Vinaigrette
- 1 large nectarine, peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup golden balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 garlic clove, freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add the spring greens and arugula to a large bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper. Top with fried pancetta, sliced nectarines, quartered figs, crumbled goat cheese, sliced avocado and chopped pistachios. Toss gently to combine and dress with the nectarine vinaigrette.
Nectarine Vinaigrette
- Place nectarine cubes in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of water to help blend, then strain to collect the juice. In a bowl, whisk together the nectarine puree, golden balsamic vinegar, honey, grated garlic, salt and pepper. While whisking constantly, stream in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Refrigerate for up to one week.
I mean—this absolutely counts as eating color, right?