I wanted a summery salad to make with our 4th of July meal and decided to go with this charred peach salad. In general, I’m not a fan of just throwing random fruit onto a salad as it often feels out of place and like an afterthought. I do really love charred or grilled fruit though, so wanted to give this a try. My family loves pesto, and loves fresh mozzarella, so I figured we’d probably at least like this dish.
The peaches are either grilled, or charred in a cast iron or other heavy pan (I used that method), then drizzled with some good balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. They were totally delicious and I’d love to eat the same ones on some vanilla ice cream. They actually worked well in this salad too. The pesto dressing has buttermilk in it, so it is fresh and rich and a little tangy and the sweet/sour peaches paired well with it. I think I might be starting to a convert to fruit in salad. 🙂
Charred Peach Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto
Ingredients
- 2-3 firm but ripe peaches
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp good balsamic
- 3-4 cups baby arugula
- 1 package fresh mozzarella balls
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the peaches and toss them with the olive oil. Heat a heavy skillet or cast iron pan until very hot and add the peaches. Allow to char a bit on one side, then flip and char the other side. Move to a bowl and toss with the balsamic and a light sprinkle of salt. Allow to cool before adding to the salad. You can also grill these if you like.
- Mix the pesto with the buttermilk and season with salt and pepper. Toss the arugula and mozzarella in a serving dish and then add a little dressing and toss again. Add the cooled peaches and a bit more dressing if desired. Serve.