Add a splash of color to your day with this bright and summery take on Panzanella salad. Made with peaches instead of tomatoes, this easy recipe offers a delightful balance of sweet and savory flavors and makes a great accompaniment or light meal.
It may be October but we are still enjoying warm days in San Francisco. Surprisingly, San Francisco doesn’t really have a normal summer. The thermometer hovers around 20℃/68℉ all year round, except for a handful of days in September (and apparently early October). It’s quite strange but I am not one to complain about sundress weather. As a Sydney native, my ideal temperature is 25-28℃.
Given the unseasonably warm days of late, I’ve been whipping up lots of hearty salads for meals. Our apartment is on the top floor sans air-conditioning (another SF thing), so I’ve been minimizing my use of the oven.
Peach Caprese Panzanella Salad
I’ve made this recipe about half a dozen times over the last couple of weeks and it is fast becoming one of my favorite combinations. Essentially, it’s a pumped-up Caprese salad, utilizing summer stone fruit to add sweetness instead of tomatoes. I am a proud basil plant parent so our basil leaves come fresh from the window sill.
Recently, I’ve started ordering our produce from Good Eggs and we’re loving it. Everything we’ve gotten has been impressively fresh and I like knowing where it comes from. Each grower has a dedicated page with their story.
This week our arugula comes from Plenty. They have a vertical, indoor farm in South San Francisco, that requires 95% less water and 99% less land than the average farm. In addition, their greens are pesticide-free and delicious.
Now, on to the recipe notes…
Ingredients Substitutions
- This recipe calls for white peaches but yellow peaches, nectarines or strawberries will do the trick as well.
- Similarly, I used Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bagels for the oh-so-important bread component of Panzanella salad however you can easily swap for gluten-full bagels, ciabatta or sourdough.
Protein Pairings
- I haven’t included a protein besides fresh mozzarella in this recipe, but you can pair with rotisserie/ roasted/ grilled chicken, pork or steak if you want to make it a full meal. Given the light and summery flavors, salmon, shrimp, and scallops also work well.
Bon appétit, friends! Make the most of the warm weather while it’s still around.
Peach Caprese Panzanella Salad
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 2 (large) 1x
- Category: Dinner, easy, gluten-free, Lunch, main, no added sugar, nut-free, quick, side, summer, vegetarian
- Cuisine: American, Australian, Italian
Description
Add a splash of color to your day with this bright and summery take on Panzanella salad. Made with peaches instead of tomatoes, this easy recipe offers a delightful balance of sweet and savory flavors and makes a great accompaniment or light meal.
Ingredients
- Salad:
- 5 cups baby arugula/rocket
- 4 white peaches
- 4oz (112g) fresh mozzarella
- 10 large basil leaves
- 2 gluten-free bagels
- 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Dressing:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Tear the bagels into small pieces, and add to a small mixing bowl. Drizzle 4 tsp olive oil over the bagels and sprinkle with salt. Mix to coat the bagel bits in olive oil.
- Pour the bagel bits on to the lined baking sheet. Turn the oven on to broil-low and insert the baking sheet into the oven. Toast for 3 minutes or until golden brown being careful not to burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Add the arugula to a large salad bowl.
- Tear the fresh mozzarella and basil, and add to the arugula.
- Slice the peaches into wedges, and add to the other salad ingredients.
- Add the toasted bagel bits to the bowl, along with 3 tbsp olive oil, and 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Hungry for more? Check out my recipe page here.
