Amaranth Peach Feta Walnut Salad
The inviting fragrance of peaches with creamy sheep-milk feta, goodness of amaranth greens, crunchy toasted walnuts & dragon fruit chunks, married with a rather intriguing balsamic reduction dressing. Sounds yum, right!
I was never the one to mix fruit and veggies together in a salad, but lately I’ve grown to appreciate the different textures, fragrances and flavors of various components that can come together to make a fabulous dish, and that is nearly how this salad was conceptualized by me. The marriage of ripe, succulent peaches with pungent, creamy feta cheese and balsamic vinegar reduction is a very successful one, btw 😛
Who said salads need to be boring! We all know that salads are a great way to eat clean and derive your macronutrients and micronutrients requirements for the day while avoiding any junk. Plus, this recipe has peaches and sheep milk feta – two of my favorite ingredients in the whole wide world, so no way this salad poses a punishment.
The best part about this salad is that it takes mere 15 minutes to assemble (maybe even lesser time if you have the balsamic reduction readily available!) – how cool is that! You can get back from work or the gym and fix yourself a hearty, healthy meal in no time. Oh, and feel free to substitute the ingredients with more seasonal produce – amaranth/ totakoora can easily be replaced with rocket greens, arugula or spinach and peaches can readily be replaced with watermelon or cantaloupe slices. So many possibilities for such a simple prep!
If you are looking for more yummy and easy salad recipes, try my Chickpea Quinoa Feta Vegetable Salad with Lemony Tahini Dressing or Healthy Mango Panzanella Salad. What’s keeping us then – let’s get started!
RECIPE – AMARANTH PEACH FETA WALNUT SALAD WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION DRESSING
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Serves 3
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups amaranth greens
- 2 peaches, sliced
- 2 dragon fruit, cubed
- ¼ cup sheep-milk feta cheese (substitute with nutritional yeast for vegan version)
- 8-10 walnuts, toasted and broken
- 4 tbsp wheatgerm flakes (optional; avoid for gluten-free version)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
FOR BALSAMIC REDUCTION DRESSING
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp palm sugar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Clean the leafy veggies (amaranth in my case) and blanch it (I used the steamer attachment in my rice cooker). Transfer into a bowl of cold water & set aside.
Slice the peaches, dragon fruit and any other fruits you might want to use.
For the balsamic reduction dressing, heat the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reduces to half the quantity taken initially. Although this is optional, I like to add a teaspoonful of palm sugar as it reduces.
In a salad plate, lay the blanched amaranth greens, sliced peaches, dragon fruit cubes and feta cheese cubes. Sprinkle toasted walnut pieces and wheatgerm flakes.
Pour desired amount of balsamic reduction dressing and extra virgin olive oil. Toss well.
Devour!
I’d love to hear how this recipe turned out for you, if you tried it. Do post a pic on Instagram and tag #fitfoodiediary in the picture!
NOTES
- You could add lettuce/ spinach greens/ greens of your choice to this recipe.
- Seasonal fruits could be added as per your preference
- Vegans can add vegan cheese substitutes or nutritional yeast available in shops in place of sheep-milk feta cheese.
NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving)*
| Energy | 224 calories |
| Protein | 7.5 g |
| Fat | 13.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Of which, Fiber | 5 g |
*Recipe is for 3 servings; all values in grams.
