Grilled Peach Caprese Salad with Warm Thyme Infused Honey
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Sweet and juicy peach slices are grilled then presented on a large platter with fresh mozzarella cheese, gorgeous in-season herbs, and salty prosciutto, then drizzled with a warm thyme-infused honey for a delicious twist on a classic caprese salad. With such simple ingredients, this grilled peach caprese salad is a favorite on warm summer nights.
Have y'all seen The Peach Truck people? They just came through our area, so you know I had to go get us a box of sweet peaches. Grey already snuck two of them by time we came back home.
Peach season means a lot to me. Not only because I absolutely love the fuzzy little fruit, or that it's shaped like a butt which makes Greyson laugh way too hard, but it symbolizes all of my favorite things.
First, we are in the full swing of summer and we get to spend more time with bubby.
Second, it reminds me of summers at my grandma's house in Georgia. Somehow it was less hot back then, and her peach trees were full of fruit ready to be plucked after a run in the sprinkler with my cousin.
Peach juice would end up all over my arms and neck so I'd have to go through the sprinkler again before going inside or I'd get yelled at. My grandma kinda sounds like Loretta Devine, which honestly makes those memories even better.
So why a caprese salad recipe with fresh peaches? Because it's absolutely delicious! With peaches at their peak ripeness this time of year, those natural sugars are just begging to be caramelized on a grill.
Grilling them adds so much to this amazing caprese salad, and the play of saltiness and sweetness is exactly what I love in such a simple peach dish.
Jump to:
What is Caprese Salad?
Insalata Caprese (pronounced cah-prey-si) came from the island of Capri, Italy, served as an antipasti, or appetizer.
It's traditionally made with fresh tomatoes, sweet basil leaves, and creamy mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. A simple, yet beautiful combination!
Ingredients for Caprese Peach Salad with Herb Infused Honey
Yellow peaches. Ripe peaches are exactly what we are looking for, but if they are a smidge underripe, the grill will definitely help them out.
Fresh basil leaves. Decorate the salad with whole leaves, or chiffonade them into ribbons to sprinkle prettily throughout. You'll want to use the Sweet Basil variety, which is super common at the grocery store.
Fresh mozzarella cheese. The milky, creamy mozzarella that sits in water in its own container is what you're looking for. It has such a delicious flavor and texture. Make sure to use a sharp knife when slicing it!
Prosciutto crudo. Prosciutto is ham that is cured, has a salty and mildly sweet taste, and is streaked with fat. I absolutely love it with honey and mild cheeses, it was the perfect addition to this caprese!
Extra virgin olive oil. Let me put on the Ina Garten hat and say Use the good olive oil, honey.
Flaky sea salt. Give a lovely sprinkle of those big flakes of salt over the entire salad. Take it up a notch with some amazing smoked salt to compliment the smoky flavor of the grilled peaches.
Fresh cracked black pepper. If you don't have a pepper grinder in your life, honey you need one! The flavor is much more vibrant.
Local honey. I have found that local honey has more flavor than the honey from the squeezy bears. And it goes so well over those juicy peaches.
Fresh thyme sprigs. Not only does this taste so delicious with the honey, but it looks so beautiful in the caprese, too!
How to Choose Great Peaches
- A great way to find juicy peaches at the farm stand is to look for large peaches that are firm, a little heavy for their size (that means they're juicy!) and give off a sweet, peachy smell. The ripe fruit are very fragrant.
- Make sure they're bruise-free, bruises are a purple-ish brown with somewhat wrinkled skin from the flesh decomposing.
- Stay away from peaches that are still green or lighter yellow. You want beautiful golden peaches with a peachy-pink blush!
How to Grill Peaches
Grilled peaches are very easy to make! All you need is a grill or grill pan, fresh peaches, and a little fat (I used some brown butter from my grilled peaches with whipped mascarpone).
I like using a grill pan so you don't lose any peach slices to the hungry grill flames.
Slice the peaches open vertically and carefully remove the pit, or if using clingstone peaches, slice the flesh off from the pit and then chop the peach into wedges.
Brush the exposed peach flesh with either a little olive oil or butter, then place them on a hot, hot grill pan or grill over medium-high heat.
Get those stunning grill marks within a couple of minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side of the peaches.
See? Super simple and very, very tasty.
What Do You Serve a Caprese Salad With?
If you're having peach caprese, it's smack dab in the middle of summer time. This means we are chillin', grillin', and eating good produce!
I love having this with heavier things like my husband's smoked burgers, which are SO delish, or carnitas street tacos.
Another tasty main course I love is pasta! This is just perfect to eat before digging into some creamy bacon and mushroom pasta. Ugh, I'm hungry thinking about it.
Variations
If your garden is just bursting with delicious ripe tomatoes, add them! I love layering wedges or slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes or even cherry tomatoes with my summer salads!
Try tearing creamy burrata into the salad and serving it with a little olive oil for a seriously creamy and decadent dish.
I know how y'all are about your balsamic! Don't be shy drizzling a little balsamic glaze over just like a traditional caprese salad
Use buffalo mozzarella for a stronger mozzarella flavor.
FAQ
Moisture is the biggest difference between fresh mozzarella and the low-moisture mozzarella you often find shredded at the grocery store or in a brick form.
Low moisture mozzarella lasts much longer than the fresh stuff and it's perfect on pizza, but this recipe uses fresh mozzarella. Milky in flavor, it's packed in water and is a very young, fresh cheese that has to be eaten within a couple of days.
More Summer Recipes
- The Perfect Summer Charcuterie Board
- Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
- Blueberry Spinach Salad
- Bubbly Peach Mimosas
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Peach Caprese Salad
Ingredients
Grilled Peaches
- 2 yellow peaches sliced
- Olive oil or butter for brushing on peaches
Caprese Salad
- 3 yellow peaches sliced
- Grilled peach slices
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
- Fresh basil leaves whole
- 3 ounces prosciutto crudo slices torn
- Extra virgin olive oil for garnish
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
Thyme Infused Honey
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 ounces local honey
Instructions
- Grilled Peaches Instructions
- Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium high heat and brush the grates with fat.
- Grill the half of peaches for 2-3 minutes or until light char marks appear, flip and grill another 2-3 minutes. Set the grilled peach slices aside on a plate.
- Making Thyme Infused Honey
- In a small saucepan, warm the thyme sprigs and honey over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove the honey from heat and pour into a heat-resistant container.
- Building the Peach Caprese Salad
- On a large platter, arrange the grilled peach slices, remaining raw peach slices, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella slices, and prosciutto.
- Dapple a little extra virgin olive oil over the caprese salad, sprinkle with flaky salt, and give a drizzle of the infused honey.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
How to Pick Great Peaches
- A great way to find juicy peaches at the farm stand is to look for large peaches that are firm, a little heavy for their size (that means they're juicy!) and give off a sweet, peachy smell. The ripe fruit are very fragrant.
- Make sure they're bruise-free, bruises are a purple-ish brown with somewhat wrinkled skin from the flesh decomposing.
- Stay away from peaches that are still green or lighter yellow. You want beautiful golden peaches with a peachy-pink blush!
Variations
- If your garden is just bursting with delicious ripe tomatoes, add them! I love layering wedges or slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes or even cherry tomatoes with my summer salads!
- Try tearing creamy burrata into the salad and serving it with a little olive oil for a seriously creamy and decadent dish.
- I know how y'all are about your balsamic! Don't be shy drizzling a little balsamic glaze over just like a traditional caprese salad
- Use buffalo mozzarella for a stronger mozzarella flavor.
