If you love Caprese salad (mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil), you’ll double-love Peach Caprese salad — same dish but with the addition of succulent, fragrant summer stone fruits, which lend a joyful, floral note to this refreshing summer appetizer.
In addition to being deeply delicious, peaches also offer a multitude of health benefits, as I described in my Peach & Pistachio Crisp recipe.
If you can get hold of peaches at peak ripeness you don’t really have to do much with them — just slice them, toss them in a little olive oil with sun-ripened tomatoes, scatter them with a light, fresh cheese like buffalo mozzarella or goat cheese (or sliced, pan-fried halloumi cheese) and drizzle with pomegranate molasses, a thick, dark syrup made from concentrated pomegranate juice that’s a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It’s both sweet and tart with a strong fruity taste and savory, slightly earthy undertones — once you taste it, you’ll never look at balsamic reduction again. (Though if you can’t find it, balsamic works well in this recipe, too.)
If you want to turn this into a main dish, use a little more cheese and perhaps tuck a few slices of prosciutto among the tomatoes & peaches for extra protein.
Peach Caprese Salad with Pomegranate Molasses
Ingredients
- ¼ red onion finely sliced
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 large peach at peak ripeness, stone removed, cut into 8 wedges
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes or small, fragrant grape tomatoes; quarter larger tomatoes, halve small ones
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- generous pinch kosher salt
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella in the form of small pearls, medium-sized ciliegine, or half an 8-oz ball, sliced
- generous sprinkling black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 6-8 leaves fresh basil
Instructions
- If using onion, cut into even, thin slices. Combine a cup of cold water with 1 tbsp baking soda in a small bowl, mix to dissolve the baking soda, then add the onion slices to the water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain through a sieve and rinse thoroughly to remove baking soda residue. Tip onto a clean cotton towel and pat dry. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the peach & tomato segments and the onion slices. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toss gently.
- Add the cheese, toss lightly once more, and then tip onto a serving plate (or two).
- Dust with freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with pomegranate molasses or balsamic reduction, and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately.
- Does not keep well in the fridge; cannot be frozen.