Okay, so this is one of my almost-not-a-recipe because it is so completely easy and speedy, but since we are currently smack in the middle of peach season I need to tell you about it. BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO MAKE IT.
I know, peaches plus cheese might seem a little out there, but trust me on this one…there is something about the combination of sweet summery peaches and creamy savory cheese with a little basil thrown in for good measure that is one hundred percent sublime.
It’s a perfectly perfect summer dinner party appetizer, in case you are having folks over for dinner. And speaking of, here is our current house guest.
He is all kinds of delicious, and while he isn’t going to get any peach mozzarella salad, he might be getting an extra treat for being wonderful kitchen company and an all around Very Good Boy.
And as wonderful as this salad is for an elegant dinner, the Southern husband and I have been known to have it for dinner with a little peach sangria and to call that a night!
So let’s start with the two main players in this conglomeration of deliciousness…the peaches and the cheese!
In an almost-not-a-recipe like this one, the ingredients matter even more than usual, so you want the very best peaches you can find.
How to tell if a peach is ripe.
A perfectly ripe peach will have a little bit of give to it when you squeeze it ever so gently. If your peaches are still hard, they might need a few days out on your kitchen counter to keep ripening.
And (this is going to sound obvious but I promise it helps)…the best peaches smell wonderfully like a peach.
This works with strawberries too. If you take a good inhale and you don’t smell the wonderful aroma of peaches (or strawberries!), keep on looking for that perfect peach.
On to the cheese! I love making this salad with fresh mozzarella, but when I want to take it directly to the highest level of salad fabulousness I use burrata.
What is burrata cheese?
Burrata cheese is pretty much heaven in cheese form. It is basically a pouch made out of fresh mozzarella cheese that is filled with cream and soft delicate cheese curds.
Burrata means “buttered” so if you can imagine the best mozzarella you have ever had with a buttery, creamy inside, that’s getting close.
You can find burrata more and more frequently at your local supermarket (I get mine at Wegmans). Yay for burrata availability everywhere!
Ingredients you need
Here’s how to make this recipe
STEP 1: Tear or cut a half pound of fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese into bite-sized pieces and divide among four salad plates.
STEP 2: Slice up four of the best peaches you can find and tuck the peach slices in and around the cheese.
STEP 3: Scatter some chopped basil on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and serve it up!
Recipe FAQs
I like to run a paring knife all around the peach (like you would do with an avocado) and then twist the two halves in opposite directions until they pull apart. You can either pull the pit out with your fingers, or if it is really in there, use the tip of the paring knife to pull it out. Now simply slice it up!
I know, sometimes we get to the point where we have had Enough Basil. You can swap in mint, thyme and oregano for the basil – or do a mixture!
If you are making this with mozzarella you can make it a little ahead of time – an hour or so. If you are using burrata, you really want to make it right before you serve it, because you want the creamy insides to be nice and fresh. This only takes 15 minutes or so, so it’s a pretty great last minute dish.
Drop it in the comments and I promise to answer pronto!
Oh, and if you have any leftover peaches, give this creamy peach ricotta crostini appetizer a whirl. It’s heaven on a plate.
Meantime, I will definitely go back to the more classic tomato and mozzarella and basil salad. One day. Maybe after peach season is over.
But for right now, I’m going to keep this peach of a salad on repeat!
Peach Mozzarella Salad
This delectable recipe for peach mozzarella salad pairs sweet fruit with savory cheese for a whole new spin on caprese salad!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ½ pound fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese
- 4 ripe peaches, sliced
- ¼ cup sliced fresh basil (or tiny basil leaves)
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Tear or cut cheese into bite-sized pieces and divide among plates.
- Tuck the peach slices in and around the cheese.
- Scatter basil on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and serve it up!
Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!
Leave a Reply