This easy Peach Tomato Caprese Salad takes less than 30 minutes and makes a beautiful side dish, appetizer, or even light meal! The recipe features fresh Mozzarella cheese, balsamic glaze, olive oil, and fresh basil. Serve this summer salad as is, or with crackers, fresh bread, or even avocado!
Peach Caprese Salad - perfect Summer salad
- What can scream Summer louder than fresh yellow peaches? Of course, easy and fresh Peach Tomato Caprese Salad that is bursting with Summer flavors and colors! The salad dressing is just a drizzle of balsamic glaze (homemade or store-bought) and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. The recipe takes only 20 minutes and is perfect to make as an everyday salad on a busy weeknight or for a special occasion.
- Fresh yellow peaches are in season for only a certain number of months, so be sure to include this appetizer in your summer menu along with this delicious peach pasta salad with arugula and tomatoes.
- Peach Tomato Caprese Salad also features fresh basil - and if you have a garden full of your own - save this recipe! Your whole family will love how fresh and colorful it is!
Why make this salad?
- Often, Caprese salads can be quite boring and bland. Not this one! This recipe features yellow peaches in addition to traditional Caprese salad ingredients, such as Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic glaze. Sweet and savory flavors are a delicious combo!
- Also, the presentation is different - the colorful and vibrant ingredients are stacked vertically which creates a stunning salad!
- It's super easy to make - about 20 minutes of your time! You can even make it on a busy weeknight.
- This salad can be served as a side dish, appetizer, or light meatless meal. It's perfect for holidays, summer picnics, potlucks, block parties, BBQs, or other summer gatherings.
Salad Ingredients
- Yellow peaches. Make sure to purchase yellow peaches (not white) as they make a beautiful presentation. Choose peaches that have a soft texture (but not mushy) - peaches should be soft and have some give to them. Wash peaches really well with warm running water to remove any dirt or debris.
- Tomatoes. Use large tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes sliced into rounds. Peach Caprese salad is the salad where you want to use the highest quality ingredients, so choose the best tomatoes your local store has to offer.
- Mozzarella. Use fresh mozzarella cheese (usually sold as large balls). Slice it into large rounds.
- Basil. Use only fresh basil leaves!
How to prepare and slice peaches
- Wash peaches really well with warm running water to remove any dirt or debris. You don't need to peel the peaches.
- Hold the peach down on a counter (not in the air) and use a small knife to cut down into the flesh until it hits the pit (starting at the top of the stem where the natural indent is). Continue to cut all the way around until it reaches the other side. Set aside the knife.
- Hold each half of the peach with your hands and move each half away from each other gently, twisting, until the 2 halves are separated. One of the halves will have a pit attached to its center - remove it with your fingers, using small motions. This is why you want peaches that are somewhat soft.
- Peaches are soft, so you don't need a super sharp knife. Be careful and don't cut yourself. Don't cut peaches while holding them in the air. Hold them down steady on a counter with one hand, and use the knife in the other hand. Be aware of your fingers and don't' cut yourself.
- Once you have 2 pitted peach halves, slice each half into rounds. Some rounds will have a hole in the middle.
Dressing for Caprese salad
- The balsamic glaze has a thick, rich, and syrupy texture, and you don't need to use much of it so that it doesn't overpower other ingredients. Drizzle just enough.
- You can buy balsamic glaze or reduction in the store or online. It is usually sold in the same aisle as regular balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil.
- You can also use a homemade glaze by combining together balsamic vinegar and brown sugar (or honey) and cooking it down until the balsamic vinegar thickens.
- Extra virgin olive oil is also used as a salad dressing here. Use the highest quality olive you have available.
Recipe notes
- Building the stack. When making the stack, create only 6 or 7 layers (as you see in the photos here). This creates the most stable stack. Feeling ambitious? Create a 9-layer stack (also featured in one of my photos in this post).
- Use a high-sided serving plate or bowl of appropriate size. Since you will have to break the stack of the Caprese salad in order to eat it, make sure to use the appropriately sized plate (medium or large) that will accommodate all the ingredients. Use a plate with high sides or a pasta bowl.
How to serve Peach Caprese Salad
- Serve it as a single side dish for sharing. Or, create several separate stacks of the salad on separate plates to serve a bigger crowd.
- Serve it as a light meatless summer meal. When it's hot outside, Peach Caprese Salad can make a perfect and easy-to-make complete meal.
- Serve it with fresh bread, crackers, or avocado. Bread works especially well as you can dip it in the delicious balsamic glaze and olive oil.
- Add protein. Add grilled or baked chicken, shrimp, salmon, or your other favorite fish.
Peach Tomato Caprese Salad
This easy Peach Tomato Caprese Salad takes less than 30 minutes and makes a beautiful side dish, appetizer, or even light meal! The recipe features fresh Mozzarella cheese, balsamic glaze, olive oil, and fresh basil. Serve this as is, or with crackers, fresh bread, or even avocado!
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 3 yellow peaches (medium-size)
- 3 tomatoes (large)
- 8 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese (large balls)
- 2 oz fresh basil
Dressing
- ⅓ cup balsamic glaze or reduction (see note below)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
How to prepare peaches and slice them into rounds
- Wash peaches really well with warm running water to remove any dirt or debris. You don't need to peel the peaches.
- Hold the peach down on a counter (not in the air) and use a small knife to cut down into the flesh until it hits the pit (starting at the top of the stem where the natural indent is). Continue to cut all the way around until it reaches the other side. Set aside the knife.
- Hold each half of the peach with your hands and move each half away from each other gently, twisting, until the 2 halves are separated. One of the halves will have a pit attached to its center - remove it with your fingers, using small motions. This is why you want peaches that are somewhat soft.
- Peaches are soft, so you don't need a super sharp knife. Be careful and don't cut yourself. Don't cut peaches while holding them in the air. Hold them down steady on a counter with one hand, and use the knife in the other hand. Be aware of your fingers and don't' cut yourself.
- Once you have 2 pitted peach halves, slice each half into rounds. Some rounds will have a hole in the middle.
Prepare tomatoes and Mozzarella
- Slice tomatoes into rounds.
- Slice fresh Mozzarella cheese into rounds.
Assembly
- Layer rounds of salad ingredients into stacks on a plate. For example, layer the tomato slice first, top with a mozzarella slice, then with the peach slice, then with another mozzarella round, then another peach round slice, another mozzarella slice, and top with a tomato round. Or, make a smaller stack.
- Pour a small amount of balsamic glaze from the top of the stack so that it flows down. Do not overdo it.
- Pour a small amount of extra virgin olive oil at the base of the stack.
- Top the stack with fresh basil leaves. Layer fresh basil leaves around the stack.
Notes
Here are your options for balsamic glaze:
- Use store-purchased balsamic glaze. It is usually sold in the same aisle as regular balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil
- Homemade balsamic glaze. Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down the balsamic vinegar together with a small amount of honey or brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half. For example, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook it down. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
- Drizzle with a very high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in specialized stores or sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. It has a thick, syrupy consistency, different from regular balsamic vinegar. Just use it as is. And, you don't need to use much.
- Or, use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette-based salad dressing.
- Note about yellow peaches. Make sure to purchase yellow peaches (not white) as they make a beautiful presentation. Choose peaches that have a soft texture (but not mushy) - peaches should be soft and have some give to them. If peaches are too hard, they will be difficult to slice. Wash peaches really well with warm running water to remove any dirt or debris.
- Quantity of peaches and apples. While I suggest 3 medium-size peaches and 3 large tomatoes, feel free to double the recipe!
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Peach Tomato Caprese Salad
Amount per Serving
Calories
260
% Daily Value*
Fat
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
9
g
Cholesterol
30
mg
10
%
Sodium
250
mg
11
%
Potassium
294
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
17
g
6
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
10
g
20
%
Vitamin A
1511
IU
30
%
Vitamin C
13
mg
16
%
Calcium
217
mg
22
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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