Celebrate August with a salad featuring peaches, blueberries and arugula

It’s August and all our favorite produce is officially in season. Summertime brings an abundance of delicious fruit, including fresh peaches and blueberries for this sumptuous Grilled Peach and Blueberry Salad.

Green salads with fruit have become very popular and now many restaurants feature this combination. The problem is that these salads are often high in fat and calories even though they include healthful ingredients. But when you make a salad at home, you can closely manage the ingredients and portions.

The dressing for this recipe includes Greek yogurt, honey, two types of vinegar, and a little oil. It has all the elements of a tasty salad you might find in a restaurant, but it’s not overloaded with fat.

Arugula is used for the base of this salad. It’s a cruciferous vegetable like kale, broccoli and cabbage. Similar to its veggie cousins, arugula is full of antioxidants to help reverse cell damage and fight inflammation. Glucosinolates in arugula, which produce a slightly bitter flavor, contain properties that help fight cancer and diabetes. Chefs and foodies love arugula for its slightly spicy taste. In today’s recipe, peppery arugula is a great contrast to sweet peaches, plump blueberries, nutty pecans and creamy goat cheese.

Summertime peaches are the best for a sweet snack or a salad. They’re filled with antioxidants, plus vitamin C and K to help heal wounds and vitamin E to enhance the immune system. The blueberries and pecans in the salad support heart health.

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Serve our peach and blueberry salad as a side dish or as a main course when you add a grilled chicken breast. This easy meal is as delicious as it is pretty. It’s a perfect dish for any summer day or night.

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today's recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Peach-Blueberry Salad

Yield: 6 / Prep time:  15 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes

3 firm peaches½ teaspoon vegetable oil¼ cup pecans1 tablespoon granulated sugar2 tablespoons water½ teaspoon curry powder1 tablespoon honey2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt1 tablespoon olive oil1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon paprika5 ounces arugula¾ cup blueberries¾ cup diced red bell pepper¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

Pre-heat broiler or grill to 500 degrees.

Cut the peaches in half along the dent. Twist halves to separate and remove pits, or carefully cut pits out with a knife. Lightly brush peach halves with oil. Broil or grill for 3-5 minutes on each side until peaches are slightly charred. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice each peach half into 3-4 wedges.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, water and curry powder. Stir constantly until water evaporates and pecans are coated. Once nuts are cooled, chop coarsely and set aside.

To make salad dressing, combine honey, Greek yogurt, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt and paprika in a medium jar. Cover jar with lid and shake well to mix. Place arugula in a large bowl and sprinkle with pecans, blueberries and peppers. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with sliced peaches and goat cheese.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

147 calories (45% from fat), 7.5 grams fat (1.5 grams sat. fat), 18 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 131 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol, 105 mg calcium, 3.5 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 vegetable. 1 1/2 fat.

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