Tomato Peach Burrata Salad

There's nothing better than cooking with seasonal ingredients and this recipe is the epitome of a summer salad because it features some of the best including sweet peaches, tomatoes and fresh basil. Although, we're also loving our other summer salads like our grilled zucchini salad, grilled peach salad and the always popular cucumber, tomato avocado salad.

Farm stands and farmer's markets are flooded with the ingredients in these recipes, so stop by the next one you see and grab tons of tomatoes, basil, peaches and zucchini for all the summer salads we have here.

Reasons to Love this Recipe

We stopped by a farm stand last weekend and I was so inspired by all the produce, I knew I had to make this peach burrata salad recipe. It's the fancier, more sophisticated cousin of the caprese salad, but with no more extra work.

We're using creamy burrata cheese and ripe peaches for a little sweetness. And the homemade basil balsamic vinaigrette? Out of this world. Make a double batch and save it for your next kale and goat cheese salad or chicken marinade.

What is burrata? Burrata cheese is a fresh Italian cheese made from cow's milk with a soft, but solid, outer shell and an ultra creamy center. The outside is very similar to fresh mozzarella, but what makes this ingredient stand out is that luscious center made of soft curds and cream. To make the most of it, serve it at room temperature with ingredients that contrast the creamy consistency, like this peach burrata salad with fresh, crisp tomatoes.

For the Tomato Peach Burrata Salad

• Burrata cheese: this is a cow's milk cheese very similar to mozzarella cheese, but with a creamy center. It's usually in the fine cheese section near other soft cheese.
• Fresh peaches: they should be just soft to touch and leave a little indent when you press in.
• Cherry tomatoes: if you can get a variety of colors and shapes it will make your salad look so pretty!
• Heirloom tomatoes: fresh slicing tomatoes add more flavor and texture to the overall finished look of the salad, but any tomatoes will work.
• Pistachios: the color and texture they add to this peach salad recipe makes such a difference. Pistachios go so well with peaches and they add a nice crunch on top of the salad.
• Fresh herbs: we're using a mixture of thyme and basil.

For the Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Extra-virgin olive oil: grab a good quality one if you can. We also tested this with avocado oil and it was delicious.
• Balsamic vinegar: always good to have on hand!
• Honey: this balances the acid out and thickens the dressing.
• Fresh herbs: more basil and thyme.
• Garlic: we love to use fresh minced garlic, but garlic powder will do the trick too.
• Salt: kosher salt is ideal!

How to Make Peach Burrata Salad

1. Balsamic vinaigrette: Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, thyme and basil to a jar and stir it well with a spoon until combined.
2. Prep the ingredients: Slice the heirloom tomatoes into rounds and the cherry tomatoes in half and the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters. Slice the peaches into eighths then chop the pistachios if you haven't already.
3. Assemble: Arrange the thin slices of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and peach wedges all on a large platter. Break open each piece of burrata and place burrata on the platter with the tomatoes and peaches. Sprinkle everything with chopped pistachios then fresh basil leaves and thyme.
4. Serve: Drizzle the balsamic dressing over the salad when you’re ready to serve. We love to serve this with grilled crusty sourdough bread.

What to Serve with Tomato Peach Burrata Salad

A bite of creamy cheese, juicy peaches, crunchy tomatoes and pistachios is the perfect bite. Here are a few ways to serve it as an appetizer or side dish with other seasonal dishes:

• Crusty bread (my favorite way)
• Buffalo chicken zucchini boats
• Herb grilled salmon
• Cilantro lime chicken
• Spinach and mushroom stuffed flank steak

Recipe Variations

Balsamic glaze: save on time and drizzle everything with homemade balsamic glaze (if you have to).

Grilled peaches: place sliced peaches on hot grill grates for 2-3 minutes on each side if you want to add a little smokiness to the recipe

Add greens: Burrata and peaches are especially good with arugula, so throw some of that on the bottom of the plate before adding the rest of the salad ingredients.

Include protein: proscuitto and serrano ham are delicious options to tuck into the salad before serving.

More stone fruit: other seasonal and sweet stone fruits like nectarines, plums or cherries would be a nice touch.