Quick Tomato-Peach Salad with Basil — Meatless Monday
Matt Armendariz, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Whether you enjoy them straight off the pit, baked into cakes and cobblers, or turned into cool ice cream, there's no denying that peaches are one of summer's best — and juiciest — treats. Given their natural sweetness, peaches pair well in desserts, either on their own or with other stone fruits and berries, but it's their sweet flavor that also makes them go-to ingredients in savory recipes. The secret to integrating them into salads, for example, is featuring them alongside complementary flavors that will balance their sweetness. Tomatoes are one such classic accompaniment to peaches, as they're full of sugars but undoubtedly acidic as well.
Food Network Kitchens creates a Tomato Peach Salad with Basil (pictured above) that's as simple to make in 10 quick minutes as it is full of light, fresh flavors. Since the salad is made with only six ingredients, it's important to use the best versions of them you can find, especially when it comes to the heirloom tomatoes and ripe peaches. This recipe is largely no-cook, save for a basil puree that's made by blanching fragrant basil leaves and processing them with fruity olive oil and seasonings; use this bright-green mixture as the base of the dish, and serve the tomatoes and peaches on top of it before finishing the plate with refreshing lime juice and whole basil leaves.
Meatless Monday, an international movement, encourages people everywhere to cut meat one day a week for personal and planetary health. Browse more Meatless Monday recipes.