Fresh Peach Caprese Salad

A delicious, fresh peach salad with basil, olive oil and creamy mozzarella, plus delicious variations you don’t want to miss.

I can’t help but buy more summer fruit than I need for that fleeting window when it’s luscious and fragrant and perfect at the market. I wind up using peaches in all kinds of salads and savoury dishes as well as sweet ones. In this peach caprese salad, ripe peaches stand in perfectly for the typical tomatoes. In-season peaches are honey-sweet with a bit of bright acidity, really quite like sun-soaked August tomatoes. They don’t need anything but olive oil and salt to round them out. ??

I adore the simplicity of summer cooking when you start with such gorgeous, fresh ingredients, don’t you?

Here are the few easy steps.

How to Make Peach Caprese Salad:

1. Stand peaches on their bottoms and slice them into rounds. If using freestone peaches, you’ll be able to easily pop the pit out of the centre bit. If not, there’ll be a chunk in the middle that won’t be as pretty, just slice that up and layer it on the bottom of the salad.
2. Slice a cold ball of mozzarella into rounds (halve them crosswise is you want smaller pieces). Mozza is easier to slice neatly while cold and squeaky, but let it come to room temperature before serving for that luscious texture and creamy, buttery flavour to come forward.
3. Alternate peach and mozzarella slices on a plate for serving. Once at room temperature, scatter with fresh basil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Done!

Make your own spin on the caprese.

A drizzle of honey or balsamic reduction would enhance the juicy sweetness of the fruit, and a finely chopped chilli pepper would be an excellent counterpoint if you want to upgrade the peach salad from simple to something more exciting.

You could alternatively cut the peaches in chunks and skewer them with baby mozzarella balls instead for an easy handheld caprese appetizer on a stick.

OR, you could forgo peaches and use another fruit at the market, like melon (watermelon or canteloupe are both delicious) or berries (strawberries, blackberries or blueberries all are fabulous with mozzarella and basil). Swapping the basil for fresh mint is also delicious in a fruit caprese.

More savoury peach recipes you’ll love:

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle-Peach BBQ Sauce

Tuna Poke Bowls with Coconut Rice

Grilled Chicken and Couscous Salad with Peaches and Mint

The peach drink you don’t want to miss: 

Rosé Sangria with Fresh Peaches

Last Updated on August 13, 2019 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD