Grilled Peach Corn Salad (Printable Version)
Charred peaches and corn with basil, cherry tomatoes and torn creamy cheese, tossed in olive oil and balsamic.
# What You Need:
→ Produce
01 - 3 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
02 - 2 ears fresh corn, husked
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Dairy
06 - 3.5 oz creamy cheese (burrata, fresh mozzarella, or goat cheese)
→ Dressing
07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
09 - 1 tsp honey
10 - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
02 - Lightly brush the peach halves and corn with a small amount of olive oil.
03 - Grill the peaches cut side down for 2–3 minutes until charred and caramelized. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes until lightly charred. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.
04 - Cut the grilled peaches into wedges. Slice the kernels off the corn cobs.
05 - In a large salad bowl, combine the grilled peach wedges, corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and basil leaves.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well emulsified.
07 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
08 - Top with torn pieces of creamy cheese. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast of smoky charred fruit against cool creamy cheese is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- It looks like it took real effort but the grill does almost all the work for you.
02 -
- Do not walk away from the peaches on the grill because the line between beautifully charred and burnt black is about thirty seconds.
- Adding the dressing too far in advance will make the tomatoes weep and the whole salad turn soggy.
03 -
- Peaches that are slightly underripe will hold their shape better on the grill and actually taste sweeter once caramelized.
- Letting the grilled corn rest for two minutes before cutting the kernels off keeps them from shooting off the board everywhere.