Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad with Mint-Basil-Pecan Pesto

I forgot how good peaches were, and then I made grilled peaches.  I came into a whole mess of peaches the other day when a friend sent me a thank you fruit box from The Peach Truck. I was all like, "Millions of peaches, peaches for me. Millions of peaches, peaches for free."

(Oh, don't roll your eyes, You know it had to be said.)

I'm a vegetable person, but I'm not a salad person. There are like four salads on this website and they are mostly cucumber-based like this and this. Maybe not even four, actually. I mean, I eat salads at lunch like every self-respecting office cafeteria-going person, but it's not because I like them that much.

This one though? It's just so good, you guys. Because it's a mostly hot salad, which is sort of like tricking the brain into thinking about it as something other than a salad.

The first trick with this recipe is to make a pesto with whatever herbs are have stolen from your mother-in-law's garden and whatever nuts you can scavenge in your cupboard. I found pecans (score!) and grabbed a few handfuls of mint, basil and cilantro.

And the second trick is grilled peaches. 

Grilled Peaches.

And chicken thighs. Yes.

Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad with Mint-Basil-Pecan Pesto

gluten-free recipe (paleo & whole30 with omission) | serves 4
 

Salad Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 T lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 peaches, halved with the pits removed
• 4 cups/handfuls of greens like arugula
• optional: a 8 slices of fresh mozzarella

Pesto Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh mint
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 T lemon juice
• 4 T olive oil

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken thighs in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside until you're ready to grill.
2. Drizzle the peaches with a little bit of olive oil on the fruit side. Set those aside too.
3. To make the pesto, put the herbs, garlic and pecans into a food processor and process until pureed. Then add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and process some more.
4. Grill the chicken on medium-high heat until it's done (about 5 or so minutes per side).
5. When the chicken is almost done, throw the peaches on the grill, fruit-side down for 2-4 minutes. You should see those awesome grill marks, but if you leave them too long they'll turn to mush.
6. Assemble the greens, mozzarella, peaches and chicken on a plate and then spoon the pesto over the top. Take picture for Instagram. EAT.

NOTES

This recipe can easily be made paleo and Whole30-approved if you leave out the cheese.

P.S. If you like this recipe, you'll probably love this Mint-Coriander Chutney with Salt-n-Peppa Shrimp. It's like spicy Indian pesto on shrimp. Go over there and try that one too.