This peach and tomato salad recipe is loaded with pan fried halloumi, white balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. It's the perfect summer salad to make when heirloom tomatoes and sweet peaches are in season.
Why You'll Love this recipe
This peach and tomato salad is similar to a caprese salad but with its own spin.
This salad was inspired by Kale Me Maybe, That's What She Eats and Molly Baz.
Instead of fresh mozzarella, we're swapping it for pan fried halloumi cheese. This cheese is salty, squeaky and absolutely delicious when paired with summer produce.
We're also adding farmer's market peaches for additional flavor since it's the height of peach season.
You'll love this salad because it doesn't take a lot of effort and the delicious end result also turns out to be the prettiest centerpiece of the summer table.
Making this gorgeous side dish is super easy, too! Just toss together some peach slices with some ripe tomatoes and white balsamic vinegar. Then add fresh basil, some flaky salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
While this summery peach mixture marinates in a big bowl, you'll fry up some halloumi cheese. Once that's ready, you'll simply add the cheese on top along with some hot honey and then it's ready to serve.
This peach tomato salad goes perfectly with your summer dinner menus or as a quick last minute refreshing lunch. So let's get to it!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Halloumi Cheese: Halloumi is great in this recipe because it's got a nice, really subtle flavor that pairs perfectly with the seasonal produce. If you want this recipe to be no-cook, try using another fresh cheese like crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese, hand torn fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese. You could also do thick shavings of parmesan cheese.
- Peaches: Juicy peaches add so much additional flavor to this delicious salad recipe. But feel free to swap it for another one of your favorite stone fruits.
- Heirloom Tomatoes: I used big slices of a beefsteak tomato but you could also use fresh cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- White Balsamic Vinegar: If you don't have white balsamic vinegar, you could either get some here or use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette, balsamic reduction or even some lemon juice. The real reason I use white balsamic is to avoid the color from regular balsamic vinegar. This variety has all the flavor without muddying up the color.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: If you have a really good finishing olive oil, be sure to use that!
- Kosher Salt: You can swap out the kosher salt for some maldon flaky salt.
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper: All you need is a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper. You can leave it out of if you don't have any.
- Fresh Herbs: I opt for a combination of herbs like fresh basil and mint. But you could choose whatever herbs you prefer. If you wanted to use one herb, I'd recommend basil.
- Olive Oil: You could also use avocado oil or a little bit of nonstick spray
- Hot Honey: This is optional but I think it adds so much flavor when drizzled over the top of the finished salad.
- Optional Additions: You could add some savory ingredients like red onion, kalamata olives, fresh thyme, or even a small amount of raw shallot. You could also give it a Thai spin like in my Thai Mango Salad recipe and add some fish sauce, cilantro, cabbage. and red bell peppers.
Detailed Instructions
Making this peach and tomato salad is a total breeze! When it comes to presentation, I like to serve this delicious salad room temperature in a large shallow bowl or rimmed serving platter.
- Prep Ingredients: To begin, wash and dry your produce then slice up the peaches and tomatoes into large chunks.
- Marinate Produce: Add them to a large bowl along with ½ of the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, some salt, pepper and fresh basil and mint leaves. Meanwhile, let the natural juices come together to marinate while you move on to the next step.
- Fry the Halloumi: Cut the halloumi into small pieces then get a hot frying pan over medium heat. Add a little oil then add the halloumi. Fry the cheese on both sides until it's crispy and golden brown.
- Assemble Salad: Pour the marinated produce onto a shallow large platter then add the fried halloumi to the top of the salad. Add a drizzle of hot honey on top before serving.
- Serve or Save: You can place any leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for a few days.
What goes with it?
I love serving this tasty salad with:
- Honey Mustard Chicken Sliders
- Prosciutto & Burrata Sandwich Sliders with Fig Jam & Arugula
- Perfect Turkey Croissant Sandwich
If you want more light salads, check out these summer classics:
- Caprese Burrata Salad
- Southern Cucumber Salad with Onion, Vinegar & Sugar Recipe
- How to make Fresh Mango Salad (Thai Inspired Recipe)
Recipe
Summer Peach and Tomato Salad with Halloumi & Hot Honey
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large Peaches cut into thick wedges
- 1 large Heirloom Tomato cut into thick wedges
- 3 tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 cranks Fresh Cracked Pepper
- 8 oz Halloumi Cheese diced
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Basil roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Mint roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Hot Honey
Instructions
- Add chopped peaches and tomatoes to a large bowl along with ½ of the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, some salt, pepper and fresh basil and mint leaves. Set aside to let the natural juices come together to marinate while you move on to the next step.
- Heat a medium sized frying pan over medium heat. Add the rest of the olive oil then add the halloumi. Fry the cheese on both sides until it's crispy and golden brown.
- Pour the marinated peaches and tomatoes into rimmed platter then add the fried halloumi and a drizzle of hot honey.
MacKenzie Smith
hope you love this recipe as much as we did!