Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad
This Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad is jam-packed with fresh summer flavors including juicy heirloom tomatoes, bright peaches, fragrant basil, and creamy cashew mozzarella cheese. It’s a wonderful appetizer or side salad for any summer cookout, easily made vegan!
Love peaches? Be sure to check out this roundup of all my favorite peach recipes!
What makes something caprese?
How is caprese pronounced?
While some people pronounce this Cah-preh-zee, the proper pronunciation is “Cah-preh-zeh”.
Origins of Caprese Salad for this Peach Tomato Caprese Recipe
The salad is unsurprisingly Italian in origin, specifically the island of Capri. A traditional Caprese salad is comprised of slices of heirloom tomato, leaves of fresh basil, and slabs of fresh mozzarella cheese, seasoned with olive oil and salt. A popular origin story states that it was inspired by the colors of the Italian flag (which has three thick horizontal stripes of red, white, and green).
This recipe is not an “authentic” interpretation of caprese, simply an inspired take! Instead of using just heirloom tomatoes, we are incorporating fresh peaches and cherry tomatoes for more textural and flavor variety. Instead of using a traditional mozzarella cheese in slices, we’re serving this salad with a creamy, cashew-based “ricotta” that perfectly complements the acidic fruits.
Ingredients Needed (Including Vegan Options)
To season the salad, you’ll make a quick dressing composed of:
- 1.5 TBS high quality balsamic vinegar
- 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- A few twists of black pepper
For the base of the salad, you’ll need:
- 2 or 3 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 ripe peaches (white or yellow)
- 1 batch prepared vegan ricotta, or 1 cup ricotta cheese (tips for preparation listed below!)
- Fresh basil and parsley to garnish
How to Make Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad
- First, shake balsamic, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a sealed jar to create the dressing.
- Then, slice tomatoes and peaches into rings and layer on a large serving tray. Spoon vegan ricotta into the center of the dish
- Drizzle the entire tray with the dressing and garnish with fresh herbs to serve immediately.
Tips for Making this Recipe Ahead
I do not recommend making this entire recipe ahead of time, as tomatoes will droop and the peaches will oxidize. However, if you’re making vegan ricotta, this can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge 1-2 days before you plan to prepare the rest of the salad:
To make your own vegan ricotta, blend 1/3 cup cashews, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and a splash of water in a high-speed blender until smooth.
What to Serve with Caprese Salad
This recipe can easily be enjoy on its own with a knife and fork. Here are some bread-y pairing ideas:
Other Recipes to Celebrate Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil
- Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta with Basil and Tomatoes
- Pesto Tomato Toast Tartine
- Easiest Tomato Basil Soup
- Grilled Veggie Party Sub with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- Whipped Ricotta Tomato Toast
- Vegan Tomato Soup
- Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please be sure to leave a rating + review if you give it a try!
PrintPeach and Tomato Caprese Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad is jam-packed with fresh summer flavors including juicy heirloom tomatoes, bright peaches, fragrant basil, and creamy cashew mozzarella cheese. It’s a wonderful appetizer or side salad for any summer cookout, easily made vegan!
Ingredients
For dressing:
- 1.5 TBS high quality balsamic vinegar
- 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- A few twists of black pepper
For salad base:
- 2 or 3 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes of varying colors (546 grams)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (180 grams)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 ripe peaches (white or yellow) (525 grams)
- 1 batch prepared vegan ricotta*, or 1 cup ricotta cheese (130 grams)
- 2 TBS prepared pesto, optional for swirling into cheese
- Fresh basil and parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Begin by mixing all dressing ingredients in a small bowl or sealed Mason jar. Shake or stir to combine and set aside. Wash all produce if you have not yet.
- Slice heirloom tomatoes into 1 cm-wide circles. Slice cherry tomatoes into small rounds. Lay tomatoes on a flat tray and sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt (this will help to draw out a bit of their water). Set aside while you pit and slice peaches into thin crescents.
- On a large platter, begin layering tomato and peach slices so that they slightly overlap. Place cherry tomatoes alongside in small groups, plating ricotta in the center.
- Drizzle dressing over over everything on the platter. If desired, swirl pesto into the cheese for an added flavor. Sprinkle fresh basil and parsley over entire plate and serve with flatbread.
Notes
To make your own vegan ricotta, blend 1/3 cup cashews, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and a splash of water in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One sixth of recipe
- Calories: 201 calories
- Sugar: 12.4 grams
- Sodium: 401.5 milligrams
- Fat: 14.2 grams
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.1 grams
- Carbohydrates: 17.7 grams
- Fiber: 3.1 grams
- Protein: 3.9 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Crisp Sesame Cucumber Salad
This Sesame Cucumber Salad is the perfect no-cook side dish for any summer meals! Refreshing to eat and full of toasted sesame flavor, this simple side is ready in minutes and looks beautiful on any table. Easily vegan and gluten-free!
Few vegetables are quite as refreshing as the cucumber, but with such a high water content can often, proper seasoning is essential. In this recipe, a creamy lemon tahini/yogurt sauce is a perfect pairing – it lends protein and a satisfyingly smooth texture to the crisp salad base.
Ingredients Needed for Sesame Cucumber Salad
- 1/2 red onion
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- 2 tsp sumac (or sub lemon zest)
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 seeded and sliced jalapeño (optional)
- 1 cup mixed tender herbs
- Sesame seeds, to garnish
As mentioned, I like serving this recipe with a sesame dressing, which is made with tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Recipe FAQ
Persian cucumbers are better than English (hothouse) cucumbers for salad, as they are more narrow, have a thin skin and fewer seeds.
This Sesame Cucumber Salad will last four to five days in a covered container in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the salt in the recipe will continue to pull water from the cucumbers over time, so I recommend storing the sauce separately and draining the cucumbers before serving if needed.
Place a thin Persian cucumber horizontally between two chopsticks (this will help prevent slicing all the way through. Starting at on site, slice your knife perpendicularly (at a 90 degree angle) along the cucumber at 1/4 inch intervals, almost all the way down. Once you get all the way across, flip the cucumber over to the uncut side and repeat the slicing process, but cut at a 45 degree angle instead of perpendicularly.
More Recipes with Cucumber
Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
The Ultimate California Veggie Sandwich
PrintCrisp Sesame Cucumber Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Sesame Cucumber Salad is the perfect no-cook side dish for any summer meals! Refreshing to eat and full of toasted sesame flavor, this simple side is ready in minutes and looks beautiful on any table. Easily vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
For salad:
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sumac (or sub lemon zest)
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 seeded jalapeño, sliced thinly (optional)
- 1 cup mixed tender herbs (like cilantro and mint), roughly chopped
- Sesame seeds, to garnish
For sauce:
- 2 TBS tahini paste, runny
- 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt
- Juice from 1/2 lemon (2–3 TBS)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- A few pinches of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl of water, which will help mellow the sharpness. Set aside.
- Slice cucumber into thin rounds and add to a large bowl. If you’d like to make spiraled cucumbers, see instructions in notes below. Add salt, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes – this will draw out some of the liquid which helps to avoid an overly watery end result.
- Drain off water and sprinkle cucumbers with sumac and pepper. Stir to combine. Add lemon juice and sliced jalapeño, if using.
- Drain red onion and add to cucumber mixture. Add fresh herbs and mix.
- Mix tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a small cup. Combine until smooth.
- To serve, spread tahini sauce into a shallow bowl or plate and spoon salad onto it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, to garnish.
Notes
For cucumber spirals: Place a thin Persian cucumber horizontally between two chopsticks (this will help prevent slicing all the way through. Starting at on site, slice your knife perpendicularly (at a 90 degree angle) along the cucumber at 1/4 inch intervals, almost all the way down. Once you get all the way across, flip the cucumber over to the uncut side and repeat the slicing process, but cut at a 45 degree angle instead of perpendicularly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Slicing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One fourth of recipe
- Calories: 130 calories
- Sugar: 2.7 grams
- Sodium: 411 milligrams
- Fat: 10.1 grams
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.6 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 8.9 grams
- Fiber: 3.7 grams
- Protein: 3.6 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams