Apricot + Cucumber Summer Salad with Pistachios

Say hello, to one of my favorite salads that we have had this summer.

Inspiration:

Give me a case of fresh apricots and many great ideas come to mind of the things I could cook. The one thing I have never done is put fresh apricots on a salad — but my head says: you put peaches on salad, so why not apricots?

I will admit, this salad very *randomly* came together with some ingredients I had on hand, but in the end - it all made perfect sense. I figured, I am going to post a picture of this and someone will say: I need the recipe. So here you go.

Things I love about this salad: well, arugula, duh! Sweet (spring or summer-y) apricots, crunchy cucs, tangy feta, salty pistachios, and zesty lemon finished with basil & mint (from the garden if you have it).

Other reasons this salad is a patio regular for us: it can be a starter salad to impress your friends. Serve it for lunch with the ladies. Or do as we do: it can 100% be your dinner salad – like one of the ones that is super simple but totally fills you up by just adding a grilled protein. Lastly, this salad can easily be slightly changed each night (and it has) to what you have on hand.

So there you go: get your summer salad on.

Ingredients:

Serves 2-4

Salad

6 cups argula (or other mixed greens)
4 apricots - halved, quartered & then chopped into thin slices
1/2 English cucumber - halved, quartered & chopped
8 oz feta - crumbled
1/3 cup pistachios - roughly chopped
4 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves - roughly chopped
4 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions:

Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. No need to add any oil or cooking spray. Add pistachios to the pan and cook them, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and super aromatic. Immediately remove from pan, and set aside to cool.

While the pistachios are cooling, make your dressing. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Mix well. Add more S&P if needed.

Time to arrange the salad. Place the arugula or greens on a large plate or bowl. Toss the greens with some of the dressing, then assemble the salad with the apricots, cucumber and feta. Add a bit more dressing and top with pistachios, fresh mint & basil.

Serve immediately.

A few quick notes:

Why toast your nuts? Toasting nuts releases their essential oils. This causes the nuts to become more fragrant and flavorful than in their raw state. It’s also super easy; don’t be intimidated!

I grew a COVID garden this year which means I now put fresh basil & mint on everything. Let me just say - everyone should grow an herb garden to give your food game an automatic upgrade. So fresh.

If you look reallllly close you can see a fennel bulb in my pics. Again - like 95% of the things I cook, this recipe is VERY adaptable. One of the things I love about cooking is the creativity. Feel free to add what you have on hand or you think sounds good.

Did you know pre-crumbled cheese has additional “anti-caking” agents added to it? Read your labels and if you can, fresh is best!

Want to make a meal out of this? Add a side of grilled protein.