A couple weeks ago, I went to a Taste of Home Cooking show with some of my blogging friends. It was so fun to get together with other foodies and learn new cooking techniques. Before the show, they had some free samples…who doesn’t love free samples? One was for Mia Bella Balsamic Vinegar and I was SOLD! They sent me a bottle to try out and I KNEW I had to make a salad. This Nectarine Summer Salad Recipe is so fresh and pretty…and most importantly DELICIOUS!
I got the idea for this salad from a local Scottsdale restaurant. The salad was fantastic! I actually copied it at home because I was craving it. I posted it to Instagram and everyone asked for the recipe. Since it wasn’t my recipe, I decided not to post it. This one is just as good…I love the textures of the fruit, arugula and pumpkin seeds!
Nectarine Summer Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing
- 2 peaches pitted
- 5 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 Tbs. MiaBella Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbs. sugar
- 2 Tbs. water
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
For the Salads
- 1 c. cooked acini de pepe pasta
- 1 c. baby arugula
- 1 c. grilled chicken breast diced
- 1/2 c. diced nectarines
- 1/2 c. blueberries
- 1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 c. feta cheese
Instructions
- Combine salad dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Keep acini de pepe and grilled chicken cool in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
- Split salad ingredients into two plates.
- Drizzle salad with 1-2 Tbs. dressing and a little more MiaBella Balsamic vinegar and serve.

The great thing about this salad is you are free to play around with it! Keep the chicken, arugula, and acini de pepe and change the other ingredients to suit your taste! I made grilled chicken with salt and pepper, but you could also make it really easy and use a rotisserie chicken. I used raw pumpkin seeds…you could substitute with almonds (but you seriously have to try raw pumpkin seeds in a salad–DELISH!)
Definitely check out MiaBella Balsamic Vinegar. It’s the BEST I have ever tasted. It’s sweet enough to eat with fruit and berries, but tangy enough for a bruschetta (which is actually on the menu this week!) Right now they have free shipping, so give it a try!
So tell me, what is your favorite summer salad?
DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for this post, but MiaBella sent me a bottle to try out. All opinions are completely my own.
Carrie says
This looks delicious! I love the combination of sweet fruit, salty cheese, and crunchy seeds.
Lucy Valdez says
This recipe looks so yummy! I’m a pescetarian so I can easily substitute fish or shellfish for the chicken:) Thanks for sharing!
Julie says
That looks like a really interesting mix of goodness!, I love how pretty it is all in rows, although it looks pretty good all mixed up too.
Kristen says
Just bought some nectarines, awesome! pinning and stumbling!
Kennedy Cole| KCole's Creative Corner says
This looks so delicious! I love any salad dressing with balsamic, so I can imagine how much I’d love this 😉 Thanks for sharing! 😀