Fresh Peach and Burrata Salad (2024)

This vibrant peach salad is pure perfection with a wide spectrum of flavors that pair deliciously together! You only need a few ingredients to put it all together: You’ve got the sweet, ripe peaches, creamy burrata cheese, vine-ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh red cherries, sharp red onions, crunchy pine nuts or slivered almonds, and a zesty, herby, basil vinaigrette. That’s it!

And super easy to boot!

Perfect for a luncheon on a sunny afternoon, a special occasion, as a side dish to a main entree, or even as an appetizer served with sliced, toasted crostini bread or an array of crackers for entertaining guests, this Peach and Burrata Salad is the perfect reason to enjoy the season’s amazing peaches.

We freeze batches of fresh peaches when they are in season so that we can enjoy the feeling of warm, sunny days during the colder winter months.

There are no words to describe the difference!

Why You’ll Love This Peach Burrata Salad

• Well, the peaches of course! When fresh and ripe, they are the fruit from heaven!
• and the oh-so-creamy burrata cheese that blends perfectly with the sweet peaches,
• the sweet, yet tangy, thick balsamico glaze to add just the right final touch,
• the overall simplicity of putting this salad together can’t be surpassed
• and it’s GORGEOUS! The bright, vivid, beautiful colors please the eye as well as the palate . . . it’s almost too beautiful to cut and dig in . . . but you will anyway!

So What is Burrata?

Burrata is pure decadence; one of Italy’s finest artisanal cheese! It’s a soft, fresh, and very rich Italian cheese meticulously produced from cow’s milk. “Burro” is the Italian word for “butter,” which has a similar texture to burrata. Burrata is similar to mozzarella in flavor notes, yet it has a more concentrated, sweet, and creamier taste, making it much more rich and decadent.

At first glance, it looks like buffalo mozzarella because the exterior shell is a soft mozzarella. But once you slice into its ‘pouch’, you get a delightful surprise! Inside is an oozing, savory mix of small cheese curds and thick cream (Stracciatella cheese). You want to grab some fruit or crusty Italian bread to dip into it!

Once you open up a ball of burrata, it should be enjoyed immediately since it’s very difficult to store. You can, however, refrigerate it for up to four days in an airtight container, but it cannot be frozen.

Ingredients That You’ll Need For Your Peach and Burrata Salad

Simple and fresh are the best. These are a few of the best-kept secrets behind delicious Italian recipes! In summer, fresh and simple recipes rock your recipe box!

• Fresh-picked Peaches: Yes, make sure that they are ripe, juicy, and have a soft, firm touch (not hard and not too soft). For ease, select ‘freestone’ peaches that are easier to remove the pits. We like to use yellow peaches because they just pop with bright color. Yes, you can also use white peaches which have the same flavor and are even more rare in season than yellow. Save the white peaches for delicious Italian Bellinis which are the preferred variety to use. You can add the peaches with or without the fuzzy peel. It’s a personal preference. Nectarines are a nice substitute as well.
• Cherry tomatoes: Use the most ripe and, if possible, San Marzano cherry tomatoes. Select those that are pretty, shiny, and firm—not old, shriveled, or blemished. If cherry tomatoes are on the vine, they are always a delicious version. You can also use larger tomatoes sliced into quarters or chunks that are easily picked up with a fork.
• Fresh Red or Black Cherries:Just like peaches, cherries have a very short season. The good news is that cherry and peach season are at the same time every summer. Cherries are my favorite fruit of all time, and I love to add them to salads to enjoy their sweet flavor and gorgeous color! Sweet red cherries, more commonly called “bing” cherries, are what I recommend for this Peach and Burrata Salad. You can also use Rainer cherries as an alternative.
• Burrata Cheese: Use fresh and imported from Italy if possible. Burrata is the Italian word for “buttered”. You can find it in specialty cheese shops or the specialty cheese section of your grocery market. You can find it by the fresh mozzarella. It is shaped like a soft ball or many smaller soft balls and comes floating in a plastic container of liquid. Burrata is VERY fresh, rich, and divine! When you cut into it, all of this wonderful, incredible, creamy, cheesy goodness oozes out! It sells out very fast, and you may have to order it from the deli section of your grocery market, or if you need it in a pinch of time, you can substitute it with fresh mozzarella or bocconcini, the little white balls of mozzarella.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For drizzling over the salad, make sure and use a good quality EVOO.
• Balsamic Glaze: The extra sweetness in this thickened version of Italian Balsamic Vinegar is just to die for drizzled on your salad. It’s the perfect yin-yang compliment to the peaches and burrata! This is available in your grocery market or online (here). You can also use a balsamic vinaigrette or basil vinaigrette, both will work well with this Peach and Burrata Salad.
• Local honey: To add a balancing level of sweetness to the tart balsamic vinegar.
• Fresh Basil is an absolute must for this or any Caprese-based salad. It adds the most complimentary flavor to peaches and tomatoes. Slice it into chiffonade pieces, serve it whole as a garnish, or blend it into the salad itself. You can also add some pesto if you prefer!
• Nuts:To add some extra crunchy texture to your salad, toss in some toastedpine nuts or slivered almonds.These are commonly used in Italy, but you can use whatever nuts you prefer (pecans, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, etc.).
• Freshly Cracked Sea Salt and Black pepper.
• Fresh Herbs: Oregano, thyme, dill, and sage work well in this salad.
• Italian Crostini Bread: Serve crusty bread on the side for a heartier meal or as an appetizer. Soak up the juices of the peaches, tomatoes, and vinaigrette! Mmmmm!

Other Variations and Options to Include:

More Summer Salad Recipes

• Classic Italian Tomato and Cucumber Salad
• The BEST Panzanella Salad
• The ULTIMATE Greek Salad
• Fresh Summer Corn and Tomato Salad
• Fresh Italian Green Bean Salad
• Roasted Balsamico Beet Salad
• Italian Summer Vegetable Salad
• Tuscan Panzanella Salad
• A Simple, Beautiful Beet Salad
• Corn and Black-Eyed Peas Salad

You can find all of our salad recipes HERE!

More Delicious Salads For You To Enjoy

We just love salads, especially when they’re fresh and full of a variety of flavors and textures! So, during summer, when Mother Nature’s bounty is abundant with so many fresh fruits and vegetables, it’s the best time to enjoy salads. I love to garden and go outside my kitchen door into my vegetable and herb garden to select what we’ll have in our next salad. One of our all-time favorites is a classic Italian Caprese salad. I prepare it in 3 different ways, and each variation is magnificent! I know they’ll be keepers for you as well.

• Caprese Salad with A Fresh New Presentation
• Caprese Chopped Salad
• Insalata Caprese Authentic Italian Caprese Salad

UnitsScale

• 1 – 2 fresh peaches, skin and pit removed, sliced into quarters
• 10 – 15 fresh Bing cherries, stem and pit removed, cut in half
• 10 – 15 sweet cherry tomatoes, left whole or cut in half
• 1 – 2 balls of fresh Italian burrata cheese (comes in a tub of liquid) Bel Gioiso is a good brand.
• 1 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds.
• 10 fresh basil leaves, leaving some whole, and tearing a few in half or thirds

For the Vinaigrette:

• 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (high quality) or balsamic glaze
• 2 Tbsp. honey (preferably local if you can)
• 3 green onions, finely chopped (use only a little bit of the green stems, closest to the white bulbs)
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup freshly minced basil
• 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
• a dash (or two) dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• freshly-cracked salt and black pepper (use sea salt if you have it on hand)

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For the Vinaigrette

1. Combine the vinegar, olive oil, honey, onions, garlic, basil, and herbs in a small bowl and whisk until nicely blended.
2. Add the dash (or two) of dried red pepper flakes.
3. Taste and add the salt and pepper.
4. Set aside and prepare the salad.

For the Salad:

1. Plate the ingredients on individual plates with some of each: sliced peaches, cherry tomatoes, cherries, and portions of the burrata cheese. Scatter the nuts and more basil leaves all over.
2. Serve and pass the balsamic vinaigrette for guests to drizzle onto their salads.