Tomato Peach Salad is a celebration of, obviously, tomatoes and peaches, two delicious fruits that come to harvest at the same time. It made sense to combine sun ripened tomatoes and juicy peaches in a salad.
Tomato Peach Salad with BasilPeach Season is Here
The time of year to get fresh local peaches is now. We can buy imported peaches all year, but there is nothing like a tree ripened, local peach, a symbol of summer. Other than just gobbling them up fresh, I like to find different ways to use peaches while they are in season.
These Peach Pecan Cinnamon Buns are a delicious sweet treat, and Spiced Rum Grilled Peaches are a simple, yet elegant dessert. Peaches are also delicious in savory recipes, too, like these Peach Whisky Chicken Kebabs, or Thai Peach Chicken.
Peach Varieties
Globally, there are over 2000 varieties of peaches, 300 of them in North America. Check out some of them here. However, all of them fall into one of three classifications. They are:
Clingstone
As the name implies, clingstone peaches have flesh that clings to the pit. They also have a high sugar content and soft flesh, so they are perfect for fresh eating out of hand, or for desserts.
Freestone
Again, as the name implies, freestone peaches have a firmer flesh that easily separates from the pit, so these peaches are a great choice for canning, preserving, baking and recipes because they are so easy to work with.
Semi-Freestone
Semi-Freestone peaches are a hybrid of clingstone and freestones, combining the sweetness of the clingstone with a fruit that easily separates from the pit.
Peach & Tomato Salad with BasilTomatoes & Peaches in a Salad
For this tomato peach salad, I used freestone peaches. Although you can use any peach variety, I like that the peach slices, while sweet, are also slightly tart, and they hold their shape well. They are delicious combined with the acidic tomatoes, red onion and fragrant basil.
Which tomatoes to use in a tomato peach salad
I used grape tomatoes, which are the first ones to ripen in our garden, but any tomato variety will be delicious, just as long as the tomatoes are fresh, fully ripened and juicy. Heirloom tomatoes, when they ripen, would be perfect.
To Peel the Peaches or not?
There is no need to peel the peaches for this recipe, unless you really dislike peach fuzz, which some people do. In which case, in the name of simplicity, you may want to use nectarines instead, which are simply peaches without the fuzz.
If your peaches are extra fuzzy, which some are, you can de-fuzz them by running them under water and giving them a good rub.
How to make Tomato Peach Salad
Tomato Peach Salad with Basil is the essence of summer. Fresh, flavourful and simple, it combines two fruits that are harvested at the same time. A perfect side for anything grilled.
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 3 large peaches
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup basil leaves
- kosher or sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
Combine peaches, tomatoes, onion, and basil in a large bowl or arrange on a platter
Sprinkle with salt & pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and honey to make the dressing
drizzle dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
