Peach Salad with Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Vinaigrette

A peach and prosciutto salad is the ultimate easy summer meal!

• Only 5 ingredients plus a little pantry pull!
• No cooking, no whisking, no chopping.
• A ripe peach and some salty prosciutto are the ultimate sweet and savory combo.
• Slice a peach, tear up some mozzarella, drizzle a salad dressing. It doesn't get any easier than that!
• It's gluten free!

Ingredients you'll need for peach salad

This peach salad only has a handful of ingredients, so they should all be the BEST you can find. RIPE peaches are essential, and get a good prosciutto with a nice amount of fat on the edge—that's where the flavor is!

• Fresh peaches: Look for peaches that are ripe, but not mushy. They should give just a little when you push on them with your thumb, like choosing a ripe avocado. Freestone peaches are easiest to work with if you can find them.
• Arugula: The peppery bite of arugula contrasts with the sweetness of the peaches. I like the wild arugula best—it has a bit more peppery flavor—but baby arugula works, too.
• Fresh mozzarella: Why fresh mozzarella? Because it is so mild and creamy and you can just tear it into pieces and drop it in the salad. We are not exerting ourselves here.
• Prosciutto: Prosciutto is the salty partner to the sweetness of the peaches. Make sure to get it thinly sliced, it can be a bit tough to chew if slices are too thick.
• Fresh basil: Basil loves peaches! This is an amazing herb/fruit combination. Genovese basil is what you're looking for, with nice bright green leaves.
• Olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, kosher salt: are the remaining ingredients you need to make the vinaigrette.

How to ripen peaches

Chances are, a peach fresh from the grocery store will not be ripe enough for this salad. But you can easily ripen peaches yourself with very little effort in a short period of time. Here are a few ways to do it.

• Place the peach on a warm, sunny window sill.
• Put the peach in a brown paper bag and roll the top down.
• Add a banana along with the peach in the brown paper bag. (This is the fastest!)

You'll want to check on your ripening peaches every 24 hours until they reach the perfect texture and sweetness.

How to make a peach prosciutto salad

All you really have to do is zip some things in a blender and slice a peach or two. No sweat. You got this.

Step 1: Make the salad dressing

In a mini food processor or blender (I used our small Magic Bullet blender) combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt and basil leaves. Use a Microplane grater to grate the garlic into the mixture. Process just until the dressing is smooth and well-blended.

Step 2: Slice the peaches

Slice each peach in half, and then slice each half into four wedges.

Step 3: Assemble the salad

Place the arugula in a salad bowl. Top with peach and prosciutto slices. Tear the mozzarella into chunks and add them to the bowl. Drizzle with the basil vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Serving suggestions

Keep it simple and serve this peach salad alongside roasted or grilled meats or a plate of pasta. It would go perfectly with an equally effortless Cast Iron Skillet Steak or a Tarragon Roast Chicken. Make an entire Italian meal and serve a peach prosciutto salad before you bring out a big bowl of Penne All'arrabbiata.

Tips for peach and prosciutto salad

• Don't over-process the dressing. The heat from the blades can darken the basil leaves, so stop as soon as it becomes smooth.
• Get a really good prosciutto. It will be tastier and have better texture. Cheap ones tend to be chewy like jerky. Yuck.
• If you don't have red wine vinegar, you can substitute white wine or apple cider vinegar.

More summer recipes

• A Nectarine Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs is another stellar way to mix sweet and savory flavors in a summer salad.
• Still feeling peachy? Nothing beats this easy Peach Crumble for a simple summer dessert.
• If you've got more basil, make some Pesto Genovese. Use it now or freeze it for the dead of winter when you need a burst of summer!