New! Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad (with Summer Sausage and Granola)

This salad is one of the most delicious things. Maybe that’s because it’s all of the things – sweet, salty, fatty, bright, creamy, tangy. It reaches the high notes and nails the low ones. It checks boxes. Can you tell I’m smitten yet? Yes, this Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad with Summer Sausage is a lovable affair to be sure. Read on for a little more info about the salad, or you can jump ahead to the recipe itself.

Why We Love This Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad

I actually based this off of a salad I ordered recently at one of my favorite restaurants in our new Charleston neighborhood – The Grocery. I love reading menus and then trying to whip up my own, home cook-friendly versions of the things that jump out at me or that I’ve actually tried and fallen in love with. This salad was sort of both, I guess.

I opted for a roasted peach salad for dinner that night, rather than an entree because I was so enchanted with the items in the salad and I’m so glad I did. The flavors sang – practically belting out those notes I mentioned before.

To make this Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad with Summer Sausage and Granola, you will need:

• A large baking sheet(s)
• A chef’s knife
• A cutting board

Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad Ingredient Notes

Alright. This salad might seem like there’s a lot going on inside – I guess there kind of is – but there’s very little that you actually have to do with any of it. The granola is super duper basic and serves to really add the most warm, toasted note to the salad. It makes it.

The peaches, shishitos and olives remain whole – we’re not really doing anything to them, just giving them a quick and simple roast in the oven. A shower of creamy crumbled goat cheese gives a real kick to things and then I honestly just recommend using a good store-bought honey mustard dressing to drizzle over everything. I add a little water to mine (I use Ken’s) and thin it out to a good drizzling consistency.

Also, you can swap in any salty pork ingredient that you like for the summer sausage, if you want. Pepperoni, bacon, prosciutto, salami, etc. Just give it a quick fry in a dry pan and you’re good to go.

FOR THE SALTED HONEY PECAN GRANOLA

Old fashioned oats: Really any kind you have or love will work, as will instant oats.

Pecans: You’ll want to roughly chop these, taking care not to pulverize them completely into dust.

All-purpose flour: If you’re gluten free, you can sub in almond or whole wheat flours – these all work just as well for the most part.

Canola, vegetable, or olive oil: The oil provides the necessary fat for the granola to cook and brown properly, aiding the oats and nuts in their happy toasting journey. So, we’ll want a neutral tasting, high-smoke point oil here.

Honey: Gives just a tough of sweetness that plays well against the savory sausage and shishitos, as well as the tangy punch of the goat cheese. Maple syrup can be subbed here.

Peaches: You want to pit and slice them in thick-ish wedges that will stand up to the heat blast of the oven.

Shishito peppers: Shishito peppers are relatively mild for the most part, though each batch or bag of them typically has a few spicy zingers. So, just be careful there. But they’re MUCH milder than your average jalapeños or serranos.

Summer sausage: Sliced and peeled (they’re usually sold in 16-ounce logs). If you can’t find this, any good smoked sausage or salami will work. As exemplified by my Peaches and Cream Salad with Spicy Pepperoni, sweet peaches and salty, spicy, fatty pork sausages are matches made in food heaven.

Pitted green or black olives: Just as they do in my Salmon and Chorizo Skillet and my Favorite Chicken Marbella, olives give a totally interesting “wang” to this Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad, as my Appalachian grandma would have said.

Crumbled goat cheese: Use as much as you like! Fromage blanc would be a nice sub, or even a creamy French or Bulgarian style feta.

Honey-mustard dressing: We’ll go the homemade-ish route here and just use a really good bottle of the store-bought stuff. To doctor it up, I usually squeeze some lemon into the dressing and add a pinch of cayenne and some salt and LOTS of freshly cracked black pepper. This all said, you could make your own version here instead.

Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad: This is How We Do It

1. Begin by making the granola: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Place the oats, pecans, flour, oil, honey, and salt on a baking sheet and toss to coat. Use a little more oil if needed to fully coat/wet. 
2. Bake until toasty and deeply golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes; stirring halfway through. Cool before using. Store in a covered container for up to two weeks. 
3. Increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F. 
4. Place the peaches, olives, and shishitos on a second large baking sheet (or use the same one as the granola after transferring it elsewhere). Toss with the olive oil and roast until charred and lightly browned; about 15 to 18 minutes. 
5. To assemble the salad, pile the roasted peaches, shishitos and olives on a plate or platter. Sprinkle with the goat cheese, some granola and drizzle with honey mustard (I thin out store-bought honey mustard with a little water for easier drizzling).  

If you like the looks of this salad, you might want to try:

If you’re as into fun, seasonal, and different salads just like we are, then you might want to peek at our Pizza Night Salad – a totally delicious pizza-esque flavor party in and of itself. Or, we’ve got a Southern Killed Lettuce salad that is never not perfect on any table, any time. Our Southern Cucumber Salad is also pretty great … just sayin.

You should definitely whip up a few batches of my Juicy Peach Palomas to serve with this Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad as well.

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