Peach and Avocado Salad with Zucchini beautifully captures the essence of summer. Bursting with fresh seasonal flavors and vibrant colors, it's ideal for easy summer entertaining, or a light and healthy lunch or dinner.

It doesn't get more summery than fresh peaches, avocados, and zucchini -- so this salad is essentially a celebration of the season.
Peach and Avocado salad with Zucchini is lovely for a crowd -- it's beautiful on a buffet table, at a picnic in the park, or as the centerpiece of your of a dining table.
Easily turn it into a main course salad with the addition of succulent shredded chicken, or serve it alongside anything you desire.
Key Ingredients
- spinach - I prefer baby spinach for salads. The leaves are more tender, and already bite-sized. Save time with a bag of triple-washed baby spinach. Feel free to substitute with mixed baby greens, or your favorite lettuce.
- zucchini - Choose zucchini with vibrant green, unblemished skin. The bigger the zucchini, the easier it will be to grate.
- fresh peaches - The peaches you use should be soft but not mushy! They need to be firm enough to hold their shape once they're sliced. So they should have just a little bit of give when pressed gently. Good substitutes are nectarines and mangoes. (Like peaches, mangoes in salads are also dreamy.) I do not recommend canned or frozen peaches for salads.
- avocados - Just like the peaches, we want ripe but not too soft, so the slices hold up. The avocados should have a little give when pressed gently.
- onion - Choose onions that are heavy for their size. You can use red or white onions if you'd like to substitute.
- mozzarella - A mild cheese like mozzarella, adds a nice texture and a bit of heartiness to this peach avocado salad. White cheddar is a good substitute.
How to Make Peach and Avocado Salad with Zucchini
- Wash and dry the spinach, peaches and zucchini. Peel the onion and avocado.
- Thinly slice the peaches, avocado and onion. Grate the zucchini.
- Wring out the grated zucchini with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible.
* Pro Tip * Believe it or not, zucchini is about 95% water. That's a lot! So once it's grated and left to sit, it slowly releases moisture. This is why wringing it out is important -- otherwise, it can make the whole salad soggy. (Note the difference in appearance below.)
- Add the spinach, grated zucchini, sliced peaches, avocados, onion, and grated mozzarella to a serving bowl.
- In a small jar, combine the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and honey. Put the lid on tightly and shake. Alternatively, use a whisk and a small bowl. Then drizzle this over the salad and toss.
* Pro Tip * It's almost always easiest to make salad dressing in a jar. Add all of the ingredients at once, put the lid on tightly, and shake! This is also a great way to travel with the dressing. Since you don’t want to dress the salad until you’re ready to serve, simply bring the jar along if you’re taking the salad to a party.
Variations
- Add chicken. This can easily turn into a hearty main course salad if you add chicken. If you don't have time to sauté a couple of chicken breasts, just add shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Add a crunch. I think adding lemon croutons is the perfect way to add crunch to this salad. You can also add nuts -- pine nuts and pistachios are my favorites with the avocado and peach combination.
- Vegan version. Skip the mozzarella.
Serving Suggestions
I love this salad with salmon or chicken dishes, or even just a delicious bread on the side. My favorites to serve with it are Blackened Salmon or Chimichurri Baked Salmon, and Cauliflower Bread (Gluten-Free) or Rustic Overnight Bread.
Making it Ahead
Salads are almost always best when made as close to serving time as possible. You can assemble the elements of this salad up to an hour ahead, keeping it tightly covered in the refrigerator. The dressing can be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature -- do not add it to the salad until you're ready to serve.
More Must-Try Summer Salads with Fruit
I hope you love this as much as my family and I do!
Peach Avocado and Zucchini Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves (6-ounces) washed, dried
- 2 cups zucchini (approx. ¾-pound) washed, dried and grated
- 1½ pounds peaches (approx 4 medium-sized) washed, dried, sliced
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 large avocado, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (use half if you use table salt)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Salad
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a large mixing or serving bowl. *Be sure to 'wring out' the grated zucchini first -- with your hands, to remove as much liquid as possible.
Dressing
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small jar with a lid. With the lid tightly sealed, shake until it's emulsified, about 5 seconds.
Assemble
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing, toss and season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Eha Carr
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious! Healthy and moreish! Also a wee different from Down Under ones as we usually do not mix fruit with salads/vegetables . . , no reason methinks, just habit! With the amount of cheese included I would find this a great lunch but, for a fuller meal, would add some grilled fish or kangaroo fillets perchance! Thanks !
Dawn
What a gorgeous salad, Valentina! It combines some of my very favourite things. This yumminess sounds like a must try this summer. I bet it would pair wonderfully with some grilled chicken. 🙂
David Scott Allen
A beautiful and fresh summer salad — it’s just what we need with the temperatures hovering at 105°! By the way, I loved the interview clip you posted — I want to watch the whole interview!