Packed with flavor and texture, this peach burrata salad has become my number one summer salad! It’s perfect for a light summer meal or as a fresh, summery side dish.
Since peaches came into season this year, I’ve been making this fresh peach salad on repeat. You know I love our salad recipes, but this peach and burrata salad has quickly become the salad of the summer, to the point where I’m begging you to stop what you are doing and get fresh peaches right now so you can make it!
It’s got everything you need: fresh, sweet peaches, creamy burrata cheese, a zippy dressing, summer herbs, and buttery toasted nuts for some crunch. I’m obsessed and think you will be, too. Enjoy as a summery dinner or on the side for your next cookout with grilled chicken, marinated pork chops, or grilled steak!
Key Ingredients
- Peaches: This is the salad you make when peaches are in season. We want sweet-smelling peaches that are still ever-so-slightly firm to the touch. The slightly firmer peaches hold up a little better in the salad. Nectarines or fresh apricots are also great substitutes. If you have some peaches left over, use them to make this perfect peach sangria or my vanilla peach muffins for the morning.
- Burrata: Peaches and burrata are one of my favorite combinations, but you can swap the burrata for homemade labneh, ricotta, whipped ricotta, or whipped feta. Really, anything that’s got some creaminess will do. If you do use burrata, for that quintessential creamy texture, it needs to be closer to room temperature, not straight from the fridge. Thirty minutes on the counter does the trick (since the salad takes about 20 minutes, I pull the cheese out 10 minutes before I start).
- Basil and Parsley: As with so many of my favorite summer recipes, we are heavy-handed with the fresh herbs. Use any variety of basil (Genovese, Thai, Opal, etc.), then for the parsley, I prefer the texture of flat-leaf.
- Onion: I love thinly sliced sweet onion with the peaches (think Walla Walla or Vidalia). Since they sit in the dressing a bit, they soften up, and work really nicely with the sweetness of the fruit.
- Pine nuts: You can’t beat buttery, toasted pine nuts, but I know they can be pretty pricey, so feel free to substitute something else, such as sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or even sunflower seeds.
- Vinegar, Lemon, and Olive Oil: I love the flavor of champagne vinegar (prosecco vinegar is nice, too). If you don’t have that, try rice wine vinegar instead. For the lemon, fresh is best. Any high-quality olive oil will work here.
- Salt, Sugar, and Pepper: We use salt and sugar in the dressing and to marinate our peaches. They both work to draw out the flavor of the peaches and salad. You don’t need a lot, but they are a powerful combo. I prefer fresh ground black pepper, but use what you have.
- Balsamic Glaze: This is our finishing touch. A quick drizzle of thick, sweet balsamic glaze truly takes this salad to the next level. You can often find balsamic glaze in the condiment aisle of most grocery stores. It’s sweeter and thicker than regular balsamic. If you can’t find any, you can make it (I’ve provided tips below our recipe) or use a high-quality balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, which is usually thicker and sweeter by default.
Fresh Peach Burrata Salad
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
When peach season hits, this peach burrata salad is on repeat in our house. Peaches are sweet, the dressing is zippy, we’ve got lots of fresh herbs, and the creamy burrata cheese brings it all together. Truly one of the most delicious summer salads I’ve made in some time. You can think of this as a zippier, herbier Caprese salad made with peaches.
You Will Need
7 medium peaches, ripe, but ever-so-slightly firm, sliced
8 ounces (226g) burrata
15 basil leaves, roughly torn
1/2 cup parsley leaves and tender stems, about half a bunch, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion, preferably sweet onion
1/4 cup (35g) pine nuts, toasted
1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon for peaches
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (1/4 teaspoon for dressing, 1/4 teaspoon for peaches)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar (1/2 teaspoon for dressing, 1 teaspoon for peaches)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon for dressing, 1/4 teaspoon for peaches)
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Directions
1Burrata: Remove from the fridge about 10 minutes before you begin preparing the salad to soften the center.
2Pine nuts: Toast in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until lightly golden. Shake the pan now and then so they do not burn.
3Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the parsley leaves, sliced onion, toasted pine nuts, 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
4Marinate the peaches: In a large bowl, combine sliced peaches with 1 teaspoon of champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Toss gently. Add 3/4 of the basil leaves and toss again. Let stand 5 minutes to marinate.
5Finish the salad: Pour the salad dressing over the marinated peaches and toss gently. Spoon the salad onto a serving platter, spooning some of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl over it. Scatter the extra basil leaves over the peaches, then roughly tear the burrata into large chunks and place them on top of the peaches. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: The basil may brown over time, but I have happily eaten this salad a day or two after I made it. So the burrata softens a little, leave the salad out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before enjoying.
- More burrata: If you are like me, you can down half a ball of burrata by yourself. This salad splits one ball into 4 portions, so feel free to double the burrata for more.
- Burrata substitutes: Try creamy labneh, ricotta, whipped ricotta, or whipped feta.
- Balsamic glaze: You can often find balsamic glaze in the condiment aisle of most grocery stores. If you don’t find one, try a high-quality balsamic, which is usually much thicker and slightly sweeter than standard balsamic vinegar. You can also make a homemade glaze by gently simmering regular balsamic vinegar with a small amount of brown sugar until it thickens and becomes shiny.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.
