This colorful Summer Salad is loaded with juicy peaches, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, fresh basil and creamy goat cheese, all finished with olive oil and a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze. It’s a gorgeous 15-minute salad that makes the most of summer produce!
My sister Susie has been making this summer salad recipe every summer for a few years now, and I’m always excited to eat it. I finally asked her how to make it myself, and now I’m sharing it with you too!
It’s essentially a big platter of some of my favorite summer ingredients. Sweet peaches and ripe heirloom tomatoes are paired with crisp cucumber and creamy avocado. Then you’ll add plenty of fresh basil and crumbled goat cheese and finish everything with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze.
There’s no complicated homemade dressing and no cooking involved. Just chop, arrange, drizzle and serve.
It’s exactly the kind of recipe I want to make on a hot summer day! Just like my recipes for summer couscous salad and summer vegetable pasta salad!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Peaches: Look for ripe but still slightly firm peaches. You want them sweet and juicy but firm enough to hold their shape after they’re cut.
- Heirloom Tomatoes: This is a great recipe for showing off beautiful summer heirloom tomatoes. Using a combination of colors makes the salad especially pretty.
- English/Hothouse Cucumber: These have thin skin and very small seeds, so there’s no need to peel or seed them.
- Avocados: Choose ripe avocados that yield slightly when gently pressed but aren’t overly soft.
- Fresh Basil: Basil is such a natural pairing with both tomatoes and peaches. Tear the leaves rather than finely chopping them.
- Goat Cheese: Creamy, tangy goat cheese balances the sweetness of the peaches and balsamic glaze.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Since there are so few ingredients in the dressing, use a good-quality olive oil that you enjoy.
- Balsamic Glaze: Balsamic glaze is thicker and sweeter than regular balsamic vinegar. You can find it near the vinegars and salad dressings at most grocery stores.
- Salt and Pepper: A little salt is especially important because it brings out the flavor of the tomatoes and peaches.
How to Make Summer Salad
This may be one of the easiest salads you’ll make all summer.
- Arrange the produce. Scatter the peaches, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and avocado over a large serving platter.
- Add the toppings. Tear fresh basil leaves over the salad and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.
- Dress the salad. Drizzle everything with extra virgin olive oil followed by the balsamic glaze.
- Finish with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
That’s it!
Why Peaches and Tomatoes Are So Good Together
If you’ve never combined fresh peaches and tomatoes in a salad, this is the perfect recipe to try it.
Peak-season tomatoes have a natural sweetness and acidity that pairs beautifully with juicy peaches. The cucumber adds crunch, while avocado and goat cheese give the salad a creamy element.
Fresh basil ties everything together, and the balsamic glaze adds just enough sweetness and tang.
The key is making this salad when peaches and tomatoes are really good. Since the recipe is so simple, the quality of the produce makes a difference. If you have an abundance of tomatoes, try making our favorite tomato salad recipe too.
What Are the Best Tomatoes for Summer Salad?
I love heirloom tomatoes for this salad because they’re flavorful and come in so many beautiful colors and varieties. They are perfect for a caprese salad, but they are equally perfect for this tomato-peach salad.
Red, yellow, orange, green and purple heirlooms look gorgeous mixed together on a platter. Regular garden tomatoes will work too. You can even use a combination of cherry and grape tomatoes if that’s what you have.
Whatever you choose, use the ripest, most flavorful tomatoes you can find.
Can I Substitute Another Cheese?
Absolutely.
Goat cheese is my first choice because its tanginess is such a nice contrast to sweet peaches and balsamic glaze, but there are several good alternatives. Feta cheese would be my next choice. It’s saltier and a little less creamy but delicious with these ingredients. You could also add small pieces of fresh mozzarella or burrata. Burrata would make this salad especially decadent and would be beautiful for entertaining.
If you’d like to keep the salad dairy-free, simply leave out the cheese.
Variations and Additions
This is an easy salad to change depending on what you have available.
- Add some crunch: Toasted pecans, walnuts, pistachios or sliced almonds would all be delicious.
- Add greens: Serve everything over arugula, baby spinach or mixed greens to turn it into more of a traditional green salad.
- Try nectarines: Nectarines are an easy substitute for peaches, and you won’t have to peel them.
- Add red onion: A small amount of very thinly sliced red onion or shallot adds a nice sharp contrast to the sweet fruit.
- Make it a meal: Add grilled chicken or shrimp for a light summer lunch or dinner.
Do You Have to Peel the Peaches?
No. If you don’t mind peach skin, you can absolutely leave it on.
I like peeled peaches in this particular salad because they have a softer texture that blends beautifully with the tomatoes and avocado.
If your peaches are very ripe, the skins may peel away fairly easily with a paring knife. Otherwise, you can quickly blanch them in boiling water and transfer them to ice water to make peeling easier.
But if you’re looking for a truly 15-minute salad, leaving the skins on is perfectly fine.
Recipe Tips
- Use peak-season produce. This salad is all about fresh ingredients, so ripe peaches and flavorful tomatoes make a big difference.
- Don’t use overly soft peaches. They should be ripe and sweet but still firm enough to cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the avocado last. This helps prevent it from getting mashed while you’re arranging the salad.
- Don’t substitute regular balsamic vinegar for the glaze in equal amounts. Balsamic glaze is thicker, sweeter and more concentrated.
- Season just before serving. Salt draws moisture from tomatoes, peaches and cucumber, so don’t add it too early.
- Serve immediately. This salad is at its absolute best right after it’s assembled. The tomatoes and peaches begin releasing their juices after they’re cut, and avocado starts to brown once it’s exposed to air. The salt also draws additional moisture from the produce. You can prepare some of the ingredients ahead of time, but for the prettiest and freshest salad, assemble and dress it right before serving.
What to Serve with Summer Salad
This fresh salad is especially good alongside simple summer meals.
Serve it with grilled chicken, steak, salmon, shrimp or burgers. It’s also a great addition to a summer barbecue or potluck.
Add some crusty bread and your favorite protein, and it can easily become a light summer dinner all by itself.
Summer Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large peeled and cored peaches, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium hothouse cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large avocados, cut into bite-sized pieces
- torn fresh basil leaves
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- On a large platter, sprinkle peaches, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. Top with torn basil leaves and crumbled goat cheese.
- Drizzle olive oil on top. Then drizzle on balsamic glaze. Add salt and pepper on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Peaches: Choose ripe but slightly firm peaches so they hold their shape in the salad. Peeling is optional.
- Tomatoes: Heirloom tomatoes are especially flavorful and colorful, but any ripe garden tomatoes will work.
- Balsamic glaze: Use balsamic glaze rather than regular balsamic vinegar. The glaze is thicker, sweeter and more concentrated.
- Cheese substitutions: Feta, fresh mozzarella or burrata can be substituted for the goat cheese.
- Add some crunch: Toasted pecans, walnuts or pistachios are delicious additions.
- Make it a meal: Add grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp.
- Make ahead: For best results, assemble and dress the salad immediately before serving. The peaches, tomatoes and avocado don’t hold particularly well once everything is combined.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
