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Updated Aug. 2024 :: To be honest, the idea for this Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad came straight off the bottle of poppyseed dressing itself. It literally suggests that you serve it with peaches. And so, as I stood in front of my open fridge door with the goal of using up some food, holding this bottle in my hand, I decided to just do what the bottle what telling me to do, and serve the stuff with peaches. Man am I glad I did – this is SUCH a delicious way to “salad,” (salad being a verb in this case).

I absolutely love creating interesting, unique salads that don’t actually have a thing to do with lettuce (no offense, Iceberg – I love you too, obviously). Here, there is nary a leaf in sight and their needn’t be. Building flavor and texture with other fruits and vegetables – and playing around with unexpected combinations – can result in some incredibly happy accidents, and some wonderfully delicious pairings.

Why We Love This Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad

Well, for starters, it’s a 5-ingredient recipe. Peaches and poppyseed dressing are longtime pals, but here, we’ll add some crunchy, refreshing slices of cucumber and bits of lightly crisped, slightly salty fried bread (crouton-ish bites of goodness). They’re sort of half-croutons – not fully crunchy, but close. A shower of punchy cracked black pepper and some flaky sea salt are all you need to set it off. Minimal ingredients, super fast prep time – this Sweet Poppyseed Peach & Cucumber Salad with Fried Bread is the perfect thing to set out during these last, lazy-hazy late summer weeks … 

Lastly – can we just talk about the insane versatility of cucumbers for a sec? I mean honestly, what CAN’T it do? It brings down the sweetness of the peaches and poppyseed dressing here, bridging the gap between those elements and the saltier fried bread – it’s just the Switzerland ingredient here and I love it for that. Plus, it’s crunchy and green and we needed that, to be quite honest. Lettuce need not apply.

Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad

Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad Ingredient Notes

Olive oil: You’ll need a good amount of this, as it’s the requisite fat needed to toast up the big pieces of sweet rolls. You can use as much oil as you need, since the bread really soaks it up.

Fresh ripe peaches: Slice then nice and thin for easy eating.

English Cucumber or Mini Cucumbers: Also commonly referred to as Hothouse cucumbers, these don’t need to be peeled or seeded, making for such a quick and easy prep here. Just slice them moderately thin and enjoy. thinly sliced.

Hawaiian sweet rolls: You’ll want to cut or tear them into bite-sized pieces. You can use any roll you like for this Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad, either store bought or homemade.

A jar of poppyseed salad dressing: This Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad is a Homemade-ish recipe (the theme of my latest cookbook), and we’ll lean on a store-bought dressing to tie it all together.

Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad

How to make this Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad

  1. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet set over medium to med-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the bread cubes and season lightly with salt. Cook, tossing often, until the bread has become deeply golden brown; about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  2. Toss the peaches (sometimes I only need 1.5 peaches), cucumber slices, and a little of the dressing and some lemon juice in a large bowl, and season with salt and lots of pepper. Arrange everything on a large platter. Scatter the fried bread pieces around the platter and enjoy, with a little extra dressing waiting in the wings. 

Additional Serving Suggestions

I’ve learned that about half a teaspoon of cumin or Chinese Five Spice Powder really elevates that flavors of the peaches and cucumbers in this recipe. Highly recommend! This salad would be a lovely addition to a big summer spread. I’d serve it alongside my Blackened Garlic Butter Catfish or my Chili Garlic Butter Steak and Mushroom Bites. A big bowl of Peach and Corn Gazpacho and some Juicy Peach Palomas are just the thing to wash it all down. Perfect! No notes.

If you like the looks of this Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad, you might also LOVE:

Honey Pickled Peaches

Candied Bacon and Peach BLT

Roasted Peach and Shishito Salad

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Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad

Southern Peach and Cucumber Salad
Print Recipe

Peaches and poppyseed dressing are longtime pals, but here, we’ll add some crunchy, refreshing slices of cucumber and bits of toasty, slightly salty fried bread (crouton-ish bites of goodness). A shower of punchy cracked black pepper and some flaky sea salt are all you need to set it off. Minimal ingredients, super fast prep time – this is the perfect salad to set out during these last, lazy-hazy late summer weeks … 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (more if needed, the bread really soaks it up)
  • 6 Hawaiian sweet rolls, cut into bite-sized pieces (or any roll you like – this is hugely flexible)
  • 2 fresh ripe peaches, thinly sliced
  • 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • A jar of poppyseed salad dressing
  • Fresh lemon juice, to taste
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet set over medium to med-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the bread cubes and season lightly with salt. Cook, tossing often, until the bread has become deeply golden brown; about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together the peaches, cucumber slices, a little of the dressing, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Arrange the peaches and cucumbers on a large platter. Scatter the fried bread pieces all around and enjoy, with a little extra dressing waiting in the wings. 

Notes

I’ve learned that about 1/2 teaspoon of cumin or Chinese Five Spice Powder really elevates that flavors of the peaches and cucumbers in this recipe. Highly recommend!