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grilled peach & burrata salad

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grilled peach & burrata salad

The first time I had burrata was just a few months ago, at this little shindig.  It was served over stone fruit in a salad that inspired this one, and it blew my mind.  Burrata is like a present but the present is wrapped in a present — it’s more like two cheeses in one, a thin, supple pouch of fresh mozzarella that holds soft, creamy ricotta-like curds in its hollow belly.  The contrast in textures fascinated me, and since then, it’s been on my list of foods to experiment with at home.

So a week or so ago I picked up two snowy-white specimens from Murray’s Cheese to take home with me.  One I cut up and tossed with penne, tomatoes, & basil for a simple but so satisfying dinner (the creamy insides melt into the best sauce!), and the other I used in this grilled peach salad, a humble take on what we had at Sensi in May.  I feel like this salad embodies everything a summer salad should be — fresh and sweet, a little bit decadent, and full of vibrant yet uncomplicated flavors.  Grilling the peaches lends an extra smoky sweetness to them, perfect for those few that are a little less ripe than their friends, and the bite from the arugula and the pungent balsamic glaze help balance out the richness of the peaches and cream burrata.  To top it all off I added a little bit of caramelized onions, just because caramelized onions make everything better.

grilled peach & burrata salad

Two more happy things about this salad — (1) Bowl #2 shot another video!  He made me put it at the end, but it’s my favorite part about this post, so you should probably just skip right to it and admire his handiwork.  (Especially because I had a case of the Clumsy Thumbs and accidentally shot half these photos in JPEG.  So sad.  Tip if you don’t already do this — shoot your photos in RAW format and use an editing software that handles RAW files!  It’s magical.  As I was just now reminded.)  And (2) the fantastic folks at Lucini Italia were kind enough to send me a few of their products to try, two of which I gladly used here.  The peaches were grilled in this lemon olive oil, and the glaze I made from this mindblowing fruit-infused balsamic. I thought the quality of both was exceptional — clean, nuanced, and deeply flavored.  Definitely check them out if you feel so inclined.

Finally, it is unquestionably peach season (actually, did you know it’s National Peach Month?), so I just have to share a few of my favorite peachy links lately:

Hope you’re all having a gorgeous summer!

grilled peach & burrata salad

peach & burrata salad, with caramelized onions, balsamic & arugula

grilled peach & burrata salad

grilled peach & burrata salad

grilled peach & burrata salad

grilled peach & burrata salad

grilled peach & arugula salad

Music: Nujabes, Aruarian Dance.

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Grilled peach & burrata salad.

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Ingredients

Scale
  • for the caramelized onions:
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
  • for the balsamic glaze:
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • for the peaches:
  • 2 peaches or nectarines, white or yellow, sliced in half and pits removed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • for the rest:
  • 3 cups arugula (or more or less, to your preference)
  • 1 ball burrata cheese

Instructions

  1. To make the caramelized onions, heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over low heat. Spread thinly sliced red onions in a single layer in the pan and let cook slowly, stirring only occasionally, for at least 20-30 minutes. The longer you cook and the lower the heat, the better the onions will taste, but I often cook them for less time if I’m in a hurry and it’s fine. When onions are brown and jammy, add the balsamic vinegar and cook a little longer. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. To make the glaze, combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. When mixture simmers, turn the heat down to medium-low or low and let bubble until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Let cool and set aside.
  3. To grill the peaches, heat a skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Brush the cut halves lightly with olive oil, then place cut-side down and let sizzle until browned or charred to your liking. For me, this took only a few minutes. Set aside.
  4. Finally, assemble the salad. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, but I layered the arugula first, then the peaches and caramelized onions. Then I sliced the burrata into pieces and distributed it over the salad, and finished with balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.

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  1. Anne

    This looks amazing! Love the video! I have a cheap little point and shoot camera, soooo I don’t think it has RAW. :/ Thanks for the tip though.
    The salad looks amazing! I rarely eat salads, but this one looks like a must try! Especially because of the peaches! 😉

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Nothing wrong with that!! At the end of the day, it’s still the photographer that matters 😉 Thanks, Anne!

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Thank you so much, Aysegul!! And I love your blog — I just came across it a few days ago! That stroganoff is gorgeous.

      Reply

  4. Sini | my blue&white kitchen

    Grilled fruit & arugula salad, huh? Soul mates 😉 Well, this salad is absolutely gorgeous and your pics are, as always, phenomenal. That light! Shooting RAW really makes the difference and I think people are without a reason afraid of it. It makes just everything so much more awesome and give you more space and possibilities to get the best out of your shots. Sending you lots of love and hugs to Brooklyn!

    P.S. Read your guest post on Adventures in Cooking today. Girrrrl! You totally nailed it.

    Reply

  5. Tieghan

    Barrata is the best. Just used a whole lot of it yesterday, but I still have some so this salad has to happen. I love cheese and fruit together so much.

    And the video! I of course love it. You two rock as a team!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh my gosh, me too! Fruit and cheese wasn’t not something that seemed intuitive to me but ever since I first had it as a pairing, I’ve been hooked. Thanks so much, Tieghan!

      Reply

  6. Maryna

    Wow!!! So nice) the whole post is so summery) I like the video and photos…and since i am a peach and cheese fan, this is the salad of my dreams)

    I also shoot only in RAW, once I was shooting a dawn, and when opened my Lightroom, realized that all the photos were taken in JPEG. But, actually, the dawn was so beautiful, that the photos didn’t need a lot of editing )

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Thank you so much, Maryna!! And omg, that must have been the worst feeling! But yay for the photos being just right as they are 🙂 mishaps like these are a good reminder that at the end of the day, it’s more about what you’re shooting and not the equipment you use 🙂

      Reply

  7. Anna Wallace

    Yes, barrata basically changed my life. I had it for the first time at Verjus, the best lunch spot in Paris on a sandwich with very similar ingredients to your lovely salad.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oooh, I’ve heard such amazing things about Verjus! I’ll have to keep it in mind if I’m ever back in that magical city. Thanks for stopping by, Anna!

      Reply

  8. molly yeh

    i think burrata might be my spirit cheese. so freaking good. now if only i could find it in the middle of nowhere…!!!! i might have to make a middle of nowhere version of this with plain jane mozzarella 🙂 gorgeous photos, my dear!!!! happy thursday to you 🙂

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      omg YES spirit cheese!!!! I’m pretty sure I’m just Kraft singles….. or maybe not even. More like the green can parmesan. xD Happy Thursday to you lovely lady!! <3 <3

      Reply

  10. cakeoversteak

    This is so gorgeous. And the video too!!! You guys are so talented. But oh my goodness – this salad, with the flavored oil and vinegar, and the burrata … omg. Sadly I don’t think I can get burrata anywhere near me, and I’ve never had it. It’s times like this that I wish I lived in Brooklyn. And then we could be neighbors and have brunches together and stuff, like Brooklyn people. I have a fantasy life where I live in Brooklyn…. anyway I’m rambling but this is beautiful and I love it.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      No!! How sad! I actually found it randomly in a Key Foods the other day and was so surprised — maybe Whole Foods or something? Or Plan B(rooklyn), just move here and make the fantasy life a reality! 🙂 Thanks so much for the sweet words, Sara!

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Haha! We live several floors up, so we can’t clean them ourselves, but yes, I think our landlords had just had someone come before this! 🙂 So fresh and so clean clean.

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      That’s so funny you said that, Jane! I never noticed! In my family, my dad is the one with the steady hands — he was a star in his med school class. Maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all… (Except I could have neeever ever gone to med school!) Thank you so much for watching and for stopping by, friend! Give Piri a big big kiss for me :):):)

      Reply

  13. Liz @ Floating Kitchen

    Burrata is my jam. Love love love. I like to eat mine very similar to this, with grilled apricots, basil pesto and arugula. It’s so damn good. Can’t get enough. Your pictures are gorgeous and loving the grilled peaces! XO

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh my gosh. Now I wish I had more burrata! Apricots and basil pesto sound heavenly. Thank you so much for the kind words, Liz!

      Reply

  15. stephanie

    burrata and peaches, YES! such a perfectly summery salad. i can just imagine the texture and flavour contrasts. and a bonus little sneak peek of your gorgeous legs 😉 such a lovely collaboration between you and your (soon-to-be) husband 🙂

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Hahaha!! <3 you, Steph 🙂 I've had a half-written email sitting in my inbox for you for the last week, agh! I'm going to send it soon!!! miss you lady!

      Reply

  16. Ashley

    Hilarious about the raw/jpeg messup. You’d never know with these gorgeous photos! The video was lovely + so fun. What a fun thing you guys can do together! And this recipe………..feeeed me.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Baha, so funny right?! I want to think it was a good reminder to calm down on post-processing once in awhile 🙂 I wouldn’t be surprised if I sometimes rely too much on editing software. And yes! It was so so fun! And the editing process too (although I was suuuper glad I didn’t have to be the one fiddling with clip times and aligning it with the music and all that.. haha!) Thanks so so much for stopping by, Ashley!

      Reply

  18. Katie @ Butterlust

    sooooo I still shoot in jpeg because I have an irrational fear of RAW. *cringe* I know, I know, it’s completely silly. Maybe I’ll make it my goal to experiment with RAW this weekend…I can do this!!! (But really, I would have had no idea if you hadn’t told us!!)
    I love the contrast of flavors in this salad. Sweet, peppery, creamy, tangy– it’s got it all!! And the best part of the video is definitely when you cut into that big squishy ball of burrata!!

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Yesss! I can’t wait to see what you think of shooting RAW! But actually, I’m kind of loving that you shoot in JPEG! Your photos are so so gorgeous, it just goes to show that the technical stuff only matters so much at a certain point. Thank you so much for the sweet words, Katie!

      Reply

  19. dinnersforwinners

    Caramelized onions DO make everything better!! OK I am starting to feel like I don’t know burrata at all. I didn’t know it contained, in fact, two textures. This is exciting and wonderful! The way you described this salad I am dying to have a portion on a plate in front of me immediately. Beautiful. Keep those videos coming! I love them!

    Reply

  23. Jennifer from Milk and Honey

    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, You had me at “hollow belly”… I could so identify with that.

    Reply

  25. Erika

    So lovely!! (As always) I love anything with peaches and you have me sold when you added burrata. Love the video.. So much talent my dear!

    Reply

  26. Lindsey

    ughhh, this salad!!! there’s nothing i love more than fruit with greens – i’ve been obsessed this summer! and the burrata (!), totally takes me back to the days where i lived for mozzarella and all its off-shoots! there’s a restaurant called, Frank in the e. village that has the BEST buffalo mozzarella i’ve ever eaten, they serve up super simple w/ some tomatoes + basil – the best!

    beautiful shots as always, cynthia! way to make use of that lovely window and light! and the (two red bowls productions) video?! there are not enough exclamation marks to convey how lovely it is! wishing you both the loveliest of weekends! xo

    Reply

  27. lilian

    ooh cynthia – i can’t believe i forgot about this! in vegas i wished my whole meal could be one giant arugula-grilled stone fruit salad, dinner and dessert all at once. so excited now to make it at home while peaches are still amazing…thank you!!

    Reply

  31. Sherrie | With Food + Love

    I’m soooo loving these short-videos!! And peach + burrata, a match made in pure summer heaven. XO

    Reply

  32. Natalie

    Never tried burrata with peaches but definitely will do. In Apulia, where they make they best burrate that you can find, they also sell only the creamy inside of the burrata. It’s called stracciatella (like the ice cream) and is pure heaven! If you ever happen to be in Italy, keep an eye open for it!

    Reply

  35. Ellie@fitforthesoul

    I can’t get over how beautiful this recipe is!! Love the addition of zesty flavors too. I love burrata but have only tried it about twice. The way you described it is utterly perfect–like a soft pocket of cheese literally encapsulating another cheese! Mmmmm <3

    Reply

  38. amsterdamfoodstories

    This looks truly amazing Cynthia. I really can’t wait to get my own burrata right now and the combination with grilled peaches must be insanely good. Plus, I love love love your shots. The light, the scenery, the food; everything!

    Reply

  46. flora

    Planning to make this over the upcoming weekend. Looks yummy! One question: Did I miss the number of servings this makes? Is it 4? Thank you!

    Reply

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