Asian salad with duck confit and peaches
- Preparation 20 min
- Cooking 20 min
- Servings 2 to 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🥗 The salad I threw together with what I had
This one was born on a real weeknight. I was in the mood for something light, had some leftover duck confit sitting in the fridge and two ripe peaches on the counter. I decided to throw it all together, and honestly, it became one of my favourite summer salads. Crunchy, fresh, sweet-and-salty. The kind that’s genuinely addictive.
🦆 The secret: hot duck on cold vegetables
It’s all about contrast. The duck confit comes out of the oven piping hot, skin nice and crispy, and you lay it still warm over the cold vegetables and tangy dressing. That hot-cold shock, with the sesame, ginger and lime cutting through the richness of the duck. That’s exactly what makes every bite interesting. Assemble at the last minute to keep as much crunch as possible.
☀️ Fresh, complete, perfect for summer
This is a meal-sized salad that holds its own. Generous enough for a dinner for two or to feed a crowd as a side. Seasonal peaches, edamame, bean sprouts and a avalanche of cashews make it colourful and satisfying. The kind of recipe you pull out as soon as it gets hot and you want something light but filling.
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🌡️ The hot-cold contrast is the whole recipe
The duck needs to come out of the oven piping hot and be placed still warm over the cold vegetables. That temperature shock is what wakes the salad up. Always assemble at the last minute, otherwise the vegetables go soft and the duck loses its heat.
🦆 Reheat the duck in the oven for crispy skin
The oven at 425 °F gives you golden, crispy skin that a pan just can’t replicate as well. Keep the rendered duck fat at the bottom of the pan. It’s liquid gold for roasting potatoes or sautéing vegetables later.
🥜 Toast your cashews dry
Toss the cashews in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, until they release their aroma. It multiplies the nutty flavour and adds even more crunch to the salad.
🍑 Choose ripe but firm peaches
Overly soft peaches will fall apart in the bowl. Look for fragrant fruit that’s still firm to the touch, so you get beautiful wedges that hold their shape.
🥢 Make the dressing ahead
The sesame-ginger-lime dressing keeps for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight jar. Whisk it again just before serving, as the oils separate when resting.
🍜 Add fried wonton noodles
For an even wilder texture, top the salad with a handful of fried wonton noodles just before serving. The extra crunch makes all the difference.
✅ What to serve with my asian salad with duck confit and peaches?
This meal salad is a complete dish on its own, but for a big summer buffet I serve it alongside my Asian soba noodle salad or my Thai quinoa salad for a colourful spread. And if you’re on a duck confit kick, my Duck confit and rapini linguine is a comforting classic to keep in your back pocket.
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Salad
- 2 duck confit legs
- 1 red leaf lettuce, roughly chopped
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 4 mini cucumbers, sliced
- 2 peaches, cut into wedges
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) shelled edamame
- 1 cup (250 ml) bean sprouts
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (125 ml) fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup (125 ml) cashews, roughly chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame seeds
- 2 tsp (10 ml) freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
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Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C). Place the duck confit legs on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes, until heated through and the skin is golden.
- Remove the duck from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Shred the meat with a fork, keeping some crispy skin pieces. Set aside and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, neutral oil, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic and lime juice and zest. Set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the red leaf lettuce, radishes, mini cucumbers, peaches, edamame, bean sprouts, half the green onions and half the cilantro. Toss gently.
- Add the shredded duck confit, still warm, on top of the vegetables.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat everything well.
- Garnish with the remaining cilantro, remaining green onions and cashews. Serve immediately, while the duck is still warm.
A tangy dressing that cuts through the richness of the duck is ideal. Here, a mix of rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic and lime does the job beautifully. The acidity and subtle sweetness perfectly balance the richness of the confit.
Go for crunchy, fresh vegetables that contrast with the warm duck: red leaf lettuce, radishes, mini cucumbers, edamame and bean sprouts. The peaches add a juicy, sweet touch that pairs surprisingly well with the duck.
Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 425 °F for about 20 minutes, until heated through and the skin is golden. Let rest for 5 minutes, then shred the meat while keeping some crispy skin pieces.
You can prep each component separately in advance: chop the vegetables, make the dressing and shred the duck. But only assemble right before serving, otherwise the vegetables go soft and the duck loses its crunch.
No, a fresh salad like this one doesn’t freeze well: the vegetables and peaches would release too much water and become mushy when thawed. This is a dish to enjoy right away, nice and fresh.
It’s perfect as a standalone meal salad, but you can include it in a summer buffet alongside my asian soba noodle salad, my thai quinoa salad or, for a nod to the classics, my duck confit salad with goat cheese and honey vinaigrette.
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