This peach, burrata, and basil salad is a godsend of a summer staple when either it’s too hot or you’re too lazy to do much more for supper than simply slice. The sweet, the creamy, the salty all collide in one of the loveliest and most fortunate accidents of summer.–David Leite

Peach Burrata Salad FAQs

What is burrata cheese?

Burrata is a soft, mild Italian cheese made from cow’s milk, that’s similar to mozzarella, but has a creamy center.

What should I serve with this salad?

This salad makes a lovely starter, side dish, or light lunch and all you need is a loaf of crusty bread for sopping up peach juices and bits of creamy cheese.

What can I substitute for burrata?

If you’ve never experienced the incredible cheese that is burrata, we’d urge you to find some as quickly as possible. We have, on more than one occasion, heard the scent released when cutting into a round of burrata as the “breath of angels”. We kid you not. It’s that good.

It’s basically mozzarella that’s been seriously upgraded, that’s all. So a fresh (or young) mozzarella will work, as will bocconcini. You won’t get the creamy interior that makes burrata so appealing but you’ll still get the creamy and milky exterior.

A white bowl filled with peach, burrata, and basil salad.

Peach, Burrata, and Basil Salad

5 / 4 votes
Peach, burrata, and basil salad is one of those non-recipe recipes that’s a riff on Caprese salad. Arrange some oozing pieces of burrata cheese on a plate, top with peach chunks, and toss in some basil.
David Leite
CourseSides
CuisineAmerican
Servings2 to 4 servings
Calories305 kcal
Prep Time5 minutes
Rest10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 7 ounces (1 or 2) ripe peaches
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 6 to 8 basil leaves, torn if large
  • 4 ounces burrata

Instructions 

  • Halve the peach(es) and remove the pit. Cut the peach into bite-size chunks or slices.
  • Place the peaches in a bowl, drizzle with the oil, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir in the basil.
  • Using your fingers, gently pull or tease the burrata into large pieces and arrange them on plates or a platter. Top with the peach mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Mediterranean Cookbook

Adapted From

Mediterranean

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 305 kcalCarbohydrates: 10 gProtein: 11 gFat: 28 gSaturated Fat: 10 gMonounsaturated Fat: 10 gCholesterol: 40 mgSodium: 1 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 8 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2018 Susie Theodorou. Photo © 2018 John Kernick. All rights reserved.


Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This peach, burrata, and basil salad is perfection on a plate. I will confess that I’m familiar with the peach-burrata-basil combination and already knew that I loved it. The game changer here is letting it sit for 10 minutes. It’s magic what happens in that time and takes it from being good to great!

Number of servings depends if it’s for lunch, where it might only be 2 servings, or if it’s an appetizer, where it could be up to 4.

This peach, burrata, and basil salad is SO GOOD. These are classic summer flavors—I could eat this peach and basil salad every day when it’s hot!

Play around with the proportions—more peach or more burrata, more basil or more pepper—and find what works best for you. This was plenty for 2 people.

This peach, burrata, and basil salad is a great alternative to the classic tomato and mozzarella summer salad. The end result is only as good as the quality of your burrata and the ripeness of your peaches, so get the best you can find!

The flavors of the peach, the olive oil, the burrata and the basil meld really well in this snap of a recipe.

Peaches on the softer side than what I had available would be optimal because you would get the peach juice mixed into the burrata and the olive oil, too. But even with slightly firmer peaches we really enjoyed this as a side to a dinner of pork chops.

I wanted to get every last drop of the extra olive oil because the burrata oozed into it nicely and was kind of irresistible. A nice crusty bread would do the trick well.

Amazing! This peach version of Caprese salad is so good. Make sure you have the best of each ingredient called for because there are so few ingredients that they each must really shine.

What a great twist on the usual Caprese salad. Sweet, juicy peach swaps out the tomato and fresh mozzarella is upgraded to creamy, unctuous burrata. Tear over as much basil as you can find, and use a heavy hand on the salt, pepper, and good oil.

If, like me, your peach was on the underripe side, a drizzle of acid can help (I used a teaspoon of balsamic). I can’t wait to make this again when peaches are perfect!




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. I left the farmers market today having been gifted a large bag full of ripe yet bruised peach seconds, and they were perfect for this recipe, alongside a solo piece of burrata, plus Thai basil, both leftover from other recently prepared recipes. My peach chunks weren’t the most consistent, and this mattered not at all to the flavor or actually to the visual appeal of this salad. My dripping with juice peaches, plus good quality extra-virgin olive oil, a beauty of a burrata, and Thai basil replacing Italian basil for a more intense basil flavor melded together for a dish that felt perfectly summer-y and simultaneously fortuitously utilized ingredients I had on hand. I’m certain this could also be made with mozzarella, and with nectarines or plums, for example, instead of the peaches.

    1. Elsa, both your description of the dish and accompanying image are divine. My mouth is watering just imagining it. Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us.

  2. 5 stars
    I always look forward to the time of year when ripe stone fruit hit the scene. Juicy, just sweet enough, and versatile, stone fruits including peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums are simply delizioso. Just like this simple salad! Really, how can you go wrong with a ripe peach, fresh basil, and creamy, dreamy burrata cheese on a plate with a drizzle of fruity oil? (Answer: You can’t.) A wonderful first course of salad dish for the warmer months of the year and the perfect accompaniment for anything grilled as your main course. (And did I mention very tasty with a glass of bubbly Prosecco…)

    1. You’re right, Anna. You can’t go wrong with this. Very well put! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know…!