This sophisticated summer salad is a snap to make, with beautiful, easy-to-follow picture-book directions from Bruce Tretter.
Ripe, sweet but slightly tangy peaches combined with creamy avocados, crunchy bell peppers, red onion and cilantro make this a full on flavorful zesty summer salad that can be had either as is or topped with crumbled feta cheese (exactly how I like it!). Also, you’ll see I used baby bell peppers here, which I call “bullet peppers” because of their size, shape and sweet flavor punch. You can either use the same or substitute with a regular sized bell pepper. Either way you’ll end up with a fantastically fresh summer salad.
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients
(per person)
½ Ripe Peach
1 Baby Bell Pepper (can be substituted by ¼ red, orange or yellow bell pepper)
½ Ripe Avocado
Red Onion
Fresh Cilantro
Salad Dressing
Feta (or any) Cheese (optional)
Equipment
Sharp Knife
Cutting Board
Bowl
1. Rinse and shake dry a ripe peach, bell pepper and cilantro in the sink.
2. Cut the peach in half lengthwise and twist it apart.
Remove the seed with either a knife or your thumb, and cut one half peach per person into slices 1/4 – 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) wide. Then cut the slices in cross section into pieces also 1/4 – 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) wide.
3. Cut a ripe avocado in half lengthwise around the seed and twist the two avocado halves apart.
Remove the seed by holding the avocado half with the seed still attached seed side up on the cutting board—making sure your fingers are not in the intended knife path—and driving the knife blade into the seed. Twist and lift the seed from the avocado half. Remove the seed from the knife edge by pinching the down on the seed from the back, dull side of the knife as shown.
Cut the avocado half again in half lengthwise into quarters, and peel off the skin. Cut each avocado quarter into slices 1/4 – 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) wide, and cut the slices in cross section into pieces also 1/4 – 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) wide.
4. Cut around and pull the stem top off a baby bell pepper.
Then slice the pepper in half lengthwise, and cut the halves in cross section into bite-sized pieces.
5. Slice off a piece of red (or any) onion, peel off the skin, and cut the piece into bite-sized slices.
6. Pinch the stems off a handful of cilantro, bunch up the leaves, and cut and chop into smaller pieces.
7. Put all the cut ingredients into a bowl, add a shot of salad dressing, and either have the salad as is or…
…top with feta (or any) cheese to taste.
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Images courtesy of Bruce Tretter