Peach Caprese Salad

Sweet fresh peaches combined with vine ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella is an incredible way to enjoy a new twist on an old favorite.

This Caprese Peach Salad is a flavorful way to enjoy sliced peaches this peach season.

Whether you are serving up a small salad plate or a whole bowl, combining authentic Caprese salad recipe ingredients with fresh summer peaches is just divine.

Why you will love making this Peach Salad Recipe

Caprese salad is one of those classic salad recipes that doubles down as an appetizer and a salad. Served in high-end restaurants to regular kitchens, there really is something special about the combination of sweet tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

This Peach Caprese salad takes the traditional Caprese and gives it a new feel.

Taking favorite summer peach flavors, this unforgettable peach Caprese combines the bold tomato, fresh soft mozzarella, and sweetened peach into a delight for all the senses.

Smell the sweet peach and taste its dripping juice; Peach Caprese salad is a twist you will never get enough of.

Ingredients

This year, as the white peaches and sweet yellow peaches crop hits the stores, you may be asking yourself (as I ask myself) how can I incorporate the year’s first ripe peaches into a dish?

This peach salad is a bright, bold, and just-so-good summer salad that will help you dive into those sweet peaches!

Just like avocado salad, peach salad, and honestly, even classic Caprese salad, relies on the freshness of the ingredients you use.

• Tomatoes– For the best-tasting Caprese salad recipe, I love vine ripe tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and colorful heirloom tomatoes.
• Fresh Mozzarella– Either fresh mozzarella slices or balls of mozzarella (mozzarella pearls) work great.
• Ripe Peaches– Peaches can be hard to come by in early spring as Peaches are a summer crop that runs from May to September.

• Fresh Herbs– There really is no substitute for FRESH herbs. I like grabbing entire pots of basil, cilantro, and mint and leaving them to grow all year so I can snip when needed. For this salad, fresh basil works great, but you can also use fresh mint if preferred. Both provide a different taste, and I prefer more traditional basil.
• Seasonings– salt, black cracked pepper.
• Red Onion– When making salads, red onions can be overpowering. Just like in Pomodori Bruschette, the best way to take out some of the sting of red onion for salads is to soak the onion slices in cold water for 30 minutes.

• Lemon Juice & EVOO– To make a really fresh and easy dressing, lemon juice and EVOO help keep the natural peach flavors sweet.
• Balsamic Drizzle/Glaze– Make homemade Balsamic Reduction with Balsamic Vinegar simply grab a bottle from the store. A little drizzle goes a long way, and this is an optional additional flavor for Caprese. Very Good!

How to make Peach Salad Recipe

1. Prep is the key to great salads. Tomatoes should either be sliced thin or bite-sized tomatoes. Slice juicy peaches into thin slices OR bite-sized pieces.
2. Slice red onions into thin slices and if wanted, soak in cold water for 30 minutes to take down some of the sharp onion flavors in fresh salads.
3. Cut fresh mozzarella cheese into bite-sized pieces. If preferred, use mozzarella pearls. Tear or cut fresh basil leaves.
4. Add peach slices into a large salad bowl. Dump tomatoes on top of peaches. Sprinkle fresh mozzarella pieces onto tomatoes. Place sliced red onions into a bowl.

5. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt. Pour dressing over salad and lightly and gently toss, covering all vegetables and fruit.
6. Crackle black pepper all over the salad. Scatter freshly chopped basil leaves around the salad.
7. Drizzle Balsamic Glaze around the salad and serve.

How to tell if a Peach is Ripe

Peaches can vary in color depending on the type of peaches, but a more ripe peach won’t typically have any green left on the fruit.

Additionally, a ripe peach is slightly soft (NOT FIRM!). Firm peaches are also super hard to cut for salad recipes.

If you get a peach that needs more time, just set it on a counter for a day or two and check the peach. Peaches in fruit bowls on top of other peaches and fruit can quickly spoil, so if making this Peach Caprese Salad, set them apart on the counter before prepping.

The key to any summer salad recipe is FRESH, RIPE, and ready fruit. 

Types of Peaches for Peach Side Dish

Yellow Peaches – Yellow peaches have that strong peach smell, come in a variety of orange/red colors, and should have a little give when ripe.

White Peaches – White peaches are a tad sweeter, and honestly, they are SO good. 

Nectarines – Yes, nectarines are a peach! But nectarines can be a more firm fruit and harder to cut for salads. That being said, the taste is quite similar to a regular peach and a good substitute if out of peach season.

What is the Peach Caprese Salad?

Peach Caprese Salad relies on the already amazing flavors of the summer peach, the ripe tomato, and the fresh cheese to pull together a perfect combination of deliciousness.

Of course, a few bright and fresh basil leaves bring a bit of color and a little bit of pop. Drizzle on some balsamic and perfection!

How Much Does a Peach Cost?

Peaches are not exactly cheap during the non-summer months and can be difficult to find. That is why we really push that you should try and enjoy this fresh salad during the peach months when they are much more affordable and plentiful.

Having fresh and ripe peaches make all the difference in the perfect salad. They run anywhere (depending on the area, store, etc.) to $5-$6 a bag typically.

Related Caprese Salad Recipes

There are so many ways to enjoy juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and homegrown basil leaves – this Peach Caprese Salad is just the beginning!

Here are many variations of the classic Ensalada Caprese recipe just waiting to be made.

• If you love a fruit-filled Caprese salad, this Strawberry Caprese Salad recipe (that doubles down as a dip) is incredibly fresh. 
• A hot melty Caprese Dip just drips with ooey, gooey cheese. 
• It’s a fine savory balance with tomatoes and pasta in this Orecchiette Caprese Pasta Salad recipe!
• Truly a popular appetizer recipe here on Salty Side Dish, this Caprese Ladybug Appetizer turns olives into ladybugs sitting on a basil leaf into a food work of art.